What started as a COVID infection turned into a life-changing chronic illness I’ve now been fighting for over 3.5 years.

My name is Marco and I am a 39-year-old father and husband. For more than three and a half years, I have been living with Long COVID - a condition that has profoundly changed my life and the life of my family.

Long COVID affects millions of people worldwide and can persist long after the initial infection. It often impacts multiple systems in the body, especially the brain and nervous system. Many sufferers experience symptoms such as chronic fatigue, cognitive dysfunction (“brain fog”), memory problems, headaches, and difficulty concentrating. In many cases, these symptoms are invisible to others but deeply disabling, making it hard to work, care for family, or maintain a normal daily life. A significant proportion of patients are even housebound or bedbound, unable to participate in everyday activities at all. Despite its growing prevalence, effective treatments are still limited, and many patients are left searching for solutions on their own.

Before getting sick, I was active, present, and fully engaged in my work and family life. Today, I struggle daily with severe neurological symptoms: brain fog, exhaustion, concentration problems, and cognitive limitations that make even simple tasks overwhelming. My eyes often have trouble focusing on text, making reading difficult and sometimes impossible. There are moments when thinking itself becomes painful or simply not possible at all.

These symptoms have taken away my independence and the ability to be the father and partner I want to be. It’s especially painful not being able to show up for my children the way they deserve - whether it’s playing, helping with school, or simply being fully present.

Over the past years, I have used up much of my personal savings trying to find relief, pursuing treatments, therapies, and medical consultations in the hope of getting better. Despite all these efforts, I have not yet found lasting improvement.

Recently, I came across a promising treatment called Transcranial Pulse Stimulation (TPS). This non-invasive therapy uses focused ultrasound pulses that are delivered through the skull to specific areas of the brain. These pulses are believed to stimulate brain tissue, improve blood flow and promote neuroplasticity - meaning the brain’s ability to reorganize and repair itself.

Some early studies suggest that TPS may activate neural networks, support the formation of new connections between neurons, and improve cognitive function in conditions affecting the brain. While research is still ongoing, this approach offers a science-based and innovative pathway that could potentially address the neurological symptoms many Long COVID patients experience.

I am aware that TPS is still an emerging treatment and not yet a guaranteed solution. However, given my condition and the lack of alternatives, I feel it is a risk worth taking.

I am planning to undergo a series of 9 TPS sessions, which are recommended to achieve potential therapeutic effects.

The total cost for the treatment and related expenses is approximately €2.970, including the sessions themselves as well as medical consultations and travel costs.

Unfortunately, TPS treatment is not covered by insurance and comes with significant costs that I cannot afford on my own after years with this chronic condition.

That’s why I am reaching out for help.

What makes this journey a bit different: I will document and share honest updates after each session - including both improvements and setbacks. This will be my personal “n = 1 experiment”, shared transparently so others with Long COVID can learn from it.

Your support will go directly toward:

• 9 TPS treatment sessions and the medical consultations

Every donation, no matter how small, brings me one step closer to improving my health and being more present for my family again.

If you are unable to donate, sharing this campaign can make a huge difference and help me reach people who might be able to support.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your kindness, support, and belief in my recovery.

With hope and gratitude,

Marco