Give Robin Hope for Parkinson's Relief

Hello, my name is Robin Blanton, and I live in the beautiful town of Berea, Kentucky. About 14 years ago, I was diagnosed with Early Onset Parkinson’s disease. Within just a short period of time, I went from working full-time as a Registered Nurse caring for others to being forced to take disability and having to depend on others to assist me with my everyday needs. The last 4 years have been especially difficult for me. I rarely leave the house now. I can’t trust my own body. All day, every day, it seems like I am in a battle with my own body. One minute I can walk almost normally, and 15 minutes later, my medication wears off, and my muscles become weak and trembling. I can only shuffle across the floor and hope that my muscles don’t freeze up on me before I make it to a chair to sit down. I have to stay sitting down for the next hour or two until my medication kicks in again (if it kicks in) so that I can get up and do anything. If I’m lucky, I might have some control over my body for 2-3 hours, and then it starts all over again and again and again.

I shared all of this because I was given just a few weeks of relief from this horrible disease recently. I was given the opportunity to try a new medication called Vyalev that is administered by a medication pump into the subcutaneous tissue of my abdomen. Suddenly, I almost felt normal again. I could walk, talk without slurring my words, eat without strangling, etc. I have laughed and smiled more in the last few weeks than I have in the past 7 years.

I just learned today that I am getting ready to lose my newfound freedom from the physical and mental pain of living with Parkinson’s disease. I have been told that my copay for this miracle in a syringe pump is going to be $1800.00 a month. The grant I had been given has already done as much as they can. Even though I have private insurance through my husband’s employer and I pay monthly for a drug plan through Medicare, I still have to come up with $1800.00/month out of pocket. Needless to say, that isn’t going to happen. I wouldn’t normally ask for help, but after the precious few weeks of hope for the future, relief from the pain, isolation, and hopelessness of Parkinson’s Disease, I am praying for a miracle. Thanks for your prayers and support of any kind.