Help fund Stem Cell Treatment for MS

For those who know me will know asking for help doesn't come easy. However, this is possibly the one time in my life where I need every bit of help I can get.

Please take some time to read my story and any help -big or small-, will be a great help for me to get the treatment I need to put a halt to this invisible disease - Multiple Sclerosis.

 

On December 15th 2021 I was diagnosed with MS after being dropped from the police academy due to my inability to control my right leg during physical training. I thought and hoped it was a simple fix thinking it was a sciatic nerve problem. Boy, was I wrong. I never connected the dots of having balance problems, numbness in some fingers, I was also having problems with “drop foot” which is an inability to control my foot and some cognition problems. I always thought it was some left over problems I had with vertigo from years past, corporal tunnel, being clumsy and having ADD. It wasn’t until I decided to go back to my chiropractor, like I had done years before to relieve my sciatic nerve pain. This time he decided I should have an MRI. After getting the MRI my chiropractor called me to his office and told me I had several lesions on my spinal cord and I should have more MRI’s done of my brain and spine.

 

This had me very concerned. It took me two weeks to finally get an appointment with my new GP that my new insurance covered. She took one look at my MRI’s and got very concerned as well. She immediately scheduled me for more MRI’s and a consultation with a Neurologist.

 

After getting more MRI’s I met with an awesome Neurologist. She put me through a battery of tests. Being a police officer I was familiar with one of the tests which was a modified Standard Field Sobriety Test. After she administered the test it was clear if an officer had performed the test I would have been arrested for suspected DUI. After more tests and a month of waiting I was diagnosed with Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis.

 

For those of you not familiar with Multiple Sclerosis, it’s an Auto-Immune Disease that attacks the insulation on your nerves called Myelin which leaves your nerves bare and causes them to misfire and essentially short circuit. Sadly being taken off of patrol as a police officer hurt more than the disease. However I’m not letting it get me down and I’m looking for other ways to help people. Getting this treatment will help me do that.

 

On a daily basis I deal with symptoms of pain, fatigue, numbness, weakness, bladder and bowel issues, memory problems, balance, and the feelings of electric shock down my spine. On top of these I struggle with anxiety and the constant worries for my future with this progressive disease.

 

Sadly there is no cure for this disease at the moment just treatments. I stress every day with the worry that one day I may end up in a wheelchair.

 

I have recently applied for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) in Mexico and was accepted.

 

HSCT is an intense chemotherapy treatment for MS which aims to "reboot" the immune system, which is responsible for damaging the brain and spinal cord in MS.

The goal is to stop the inflammation that contributes to active relapsing MS.

 

This treatment is the closest thing we've got to a cure for MS.

With the support of family and friends I'm prepared to try HSCT not wondering what tomorrow may bring in form of disability and freeing me from a life time of immune suppressing medications.

 

The cost for the treatment in Mexico is $54,500.

The hospital requires a 24/7 caretaker that will cost ay $2,750 for 28 days.

Air fare is approximately $1,000 round trip.

Any remaining funds not used for the trip or treatment will be donated to another person seeking the HSCT treatment.

 

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to anyone who took the time to read this.

 

Check back often for updates! I hope to blog and document this whole experience to take you all with me virtually so you know your money is being well spent.