Help Donna Stop MS Progression — Our Story

Hello friends, family, and kind strangers! Thank you for taking the time to read our story. We’re Adam and Donna McDonald, and for those who don’t know us, service and helping others have always been at the center of our lives. Before life changed course, Donna worked for the American Red Cross as a Phlebotomist and Medical Assistant, spending her days helping collect life-saving blood donations. Adam served as a Tactical Communications Specialist with Naval Special Warfare, preparing for deployment in support of a Navy SEAL Counter Narco-Terrorism Unit, and later as a Naval Aviator. Service has always been at the center of our lives—until Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (PPMS) changed our trajectory.

In 2013, at only 27 years old, Donna was diagnosed with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (PPMS), a form of MS that relentlessly attacks the nervous system without the flare-up and recovery cycles some others experience. We were told that the disease would progress slowly, possibly over decades. Instead, in just a few short years, Donna lost her ability to walk and has now become completely wheelchair-bound. She depends on others for even the smallest daily tasks, and the rapid decline has left doctors stunned and searching for answers.

Despite the challenges, Donna’s spirit has never wavered. She continues to smile, laugh, and inspire those around her. Her faith and resilience have been nothing short of extraordinary. But as her condition advanced, our lives had to change as well. Adam left the special operations community, commissioned as a Naval Officer in 2016, and earned his Wings of Gold in 2018 as a Naval Aviator. He served with the VP-10 Red Lancers, completing two deployments before realizing he could no longer balance being both a full-time pilot and Donna’s full-time caregiver. In 2022, he transitioned into a Navy Human Resources role so that he could be home to care for her and continue supporting our Navy community in a different way.

For the past 3 years, the hope has been to secure a spot in a Stem Cell Treatment program to hopefully stop the progression of the disease through a process called Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT). HSCT is an established non-radiation chemotherapy medical treatment demonstrated to be effective in halting the progression of neurologic autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis. HSCT aims to “reboot” the immune system to stop it from attacking its own body. For years, we have been consistently told that Donna's progression was too accelerated and her disability level too advanced to safely administer the treatment. In this past week, our prayers have finally been answered. Donna has been approved by not one, but two world-renowned programs: Mayo Clinic Jacksonville and Clínica Ruiz in Puebla, Mexico. Both have evaluated Donna and determined that she is a suitable candidate for HSCT. Clínica Ruiz alone has treated thousands of patients with an ~85% success rate and a 0.26% treatment-related mortality rate—numbers that give us real, tangible hope.

This is the most difficult part for us as until now, together we have faced every physical challenge, every difficult day, and every tough moment as a singular unit and now we are stepping far outside our comfort zone to ask for assistance.

Donna is scheduled to begin treatment on January 5, 2026. The window of opportunity is small, and this treatment could quite literally halt her disease’s progression and give her body a chance to heal. Unfortunately, as many families have learned, this type of treatment is not covered by insurance, and the cost is overwhelming. Between procedure fees, travel and lodging, post-treatment care, and home accessibility improvements, our total expenses are expected to reach well over $100,000.

This is not an easy thing for us to do—we’ve always been the ones helping others, not asking for help ourselves—but we are humbly reaching out to our community and beyond. Whether it’s through a donation, sharing our story, or offering prayers and encouragement, we are deeply grateful for any way you can support us. Every contribution—no matter the size—brings us one step closer to giving Donna the chance to stop this disease in its tracks and reclaim some of her independence.

Donna has spent her life caring for others and bringing light to every room she enters. Now, she needs a little bit of that light reflected back. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for standing with us on this journey, for believing in Donna, and for helping us fight for a future where she can live free from the relentless progression of MS.

Why We Need Your Help:

-Insurance will not cover most HSCT costs for PPMS. We must shoulder:

-Procedure and hospital fees

-Travel and lodging for a multi-week stay (plus accessibility needs)

-Post-treatment rehab and follow-up care

-Home accessibility and medical equipment

-Caregiver support while Adam balances service, logistics, and Donna’s recovery

Our goal: $75,000. Every dollar moves the date from “we hope” to “we go.”

How You Can Make a Difference Today:

-Donate what you can. Truly, no amount is too small.

-Share this page with three people who know Donna or support military/medical families.

-Pray (or send encouragement). We read every message to Donna.

-Employer match: If your company matches gifts, please use it.

-Monthly giving: Even modest recurring gifts create certainty for treatment and recovery planning.