Help Daniel Ren (Yale 20) beat craniocervical pain

Daniel Ren (or Ren as his friends call him) graduated from Yale in the Class of 2020, Jonathan Edwards College. He was diagnosed with craniocervical instability (CCI) that started in September 2020 after going through whiplash injury from skydiving combined with chemical injury from a medication he was taking. This caused many debilitating symptoms, including trigeminal neuralgia, occipital neuralgia, TMJ disorder, neck pain, insomnia, and irritable bowel syndrome.

As a result, Ren has been unable to function as a normal 23 year old and had to quit his job to pursue treatment full time. Since then, treatment for his condition has led to ~$140k in costs not covered by insurance. It has been a difficult and winding path for him. He has seen over 20 doctors all across the country and has unsuccessfully tried many treatments before finally being diagnosed with CCI this April. It is a complex condition which requires specialized imaging and expertise to diagnose and treat.

The primary treatment options for CCI are bone marrow stem cell injections and craniocervical fusion surgery. Ren has undergone 1 stem cell procedure so far at Regenexx and will likely need 2 to 3 more. The stem cells help repair damaged ligaments in his neck and are his best shot at avoiding permanent fusion surgery.

The future stem cell treatments, other supporting therapies, and travel will likely cost at least $50k in uncovered medical bills. We are seeking to raise $75k to help him pay his existing medical bills and future treatment.

Ren has always been caring, understanding, and there for others when they need him most. As his friends, seeing him in constant pain is intolerable. However, his journey has been inspiring and shows how strong Ren is for not giving up despite being in an almost unlivable situation for the past 10 months. Any contribution to his continued treatment is very much appreciated. We will keep those involved updated on his medical progress.