Joelle's Transplant Updates
Donation protected
I'm Joelle Sano Gilmore-a mom of 3 amazing kids, wife to a loving husband, grateful daughter & daughter-in-law, lucky sister & sister-in-law, and blessed friend.
I've also been a Multiple Sclerosis patient and warrior since January 2003, when I was diagnosed at age 20. I've tried, and failed, numerous MS medications. I grapple with extreme fatigue, balance issues, pain and muscle weakness, walking endurance problems, and temperature intolerance every day of my life.
I have very recently been offered the chance to receive a Hematopioetic Stem Cell Transplant-a groundbreaking MS treatment-from Dr. Richard Burt of Northwestern University Hospital in Chicago, IL.
Dr. Burt's procedure has made headlines for its incredible results of stopping the progression of MS, reversing patient disability, and reducing lesion load (lesions are the scarring on the brain and spinal cord that characterize MS). While Dr. Burt does not call this procedure a cure, others do.
The medical costs alone for the transplant are approximately $125,000. While insurance will hopefully cover a good portion of this, any money raised from this GoFundMe campaign will support;
-Travel to and from Chicago for the transplant process
-Hotel stays and meals (half of the procedure is outpatient, and I will need a caretaker for the duration of the process)
-Copays and co-insurance costs
-Childcare for our 3 young children while I am recovering from the transplant for several months
-Post-transplant follow-up care trips to Chicago
-Other expenses that insurance does not cover (like scarves and hats for my bald post-chemo head and cleaning supplies to ward off infections)
I begin pre-procedure testing in September, and will continue the next steps (including chemotherapy to destroy my current immune system) soon after.
Any donation is deeply appreciated by myself and my entire family. I dream of days when I am not so depleted by the heat, when I can go on a walk with my children, and when I have the strength and energy to fully enjoy my family and friends. For me, the Stem Cell transplant feels like the opportunity for a whole new life.
You can learn more about Dr. Burt's work at http://www.stemcellresearchfacts.org/dr-richard-burt/
You can follow my journey at my blog, http://www.momseekingbalance.com
photo credit TessDavisPhotography
I've also been a Multiple Sclerosis patient and warrior since January 2003, when I was diagnosed at age 20. I've tried, and failed, numerous MS medications. I grapple with extreme fatigue, balance issues, pain and muscle weakness, walking endurance problems, and temperature intolerance every day of my life.
I have very recently been offered the chance to receive a Hematopioetic Stem Cell Transplant-a groundbreaking MS treatment-from Dr. Richard Burt of Northwestern University Hospital in Chicago, IL.
Dr. Burt's procedure has made headlines for its incredible results of stopping the progression of MS, reversing patient disability, and reducing lesion load (lesions are the scarring on the brain and spinal cord that characterize MS). While Dr. Burt does not call this procedure a cure, others do.
The medical costs alone for the transplant are approximately $125,000. While insurance will hopefully cover a good portion of this, any money raised from this GoFundMe campaign will support;
-Travel to and from Chicago for the transplant process
-Hotel stays and meals (half of the procedure is outpatient, and I will need a caretaker for the duration of the process)
-Copays and co-insurance costs
-Childcare for our 3 young children while I am recovering from the transplant for several months
-Post-transplant follow-up care trips to Chicago
-Other expenses that insurance does not cover (like scarves and hats for my bald post-chemo head and cleaning supplies to ward off infections)
I begin pre-procedure testing in September, and will continue the next steps (including chemotherapy to destroy my current immune system) soon after.
Any donation is deeply appreciated by myself and my entire family. I dream of days when I am not so depleted by the heat, when I can go on a walk with my children, and when I have the strength and energy to fully enjoy my family and friends. For me, the Stem Cell transplant feels like the opportunity for a whole new life.
You can learn more about Dr. Burt's work at http://www.stemcellresearchfacts.org/dr-richard-burt/
You can follow my journey at my blog, http://www.momseekingbalance.com
photo credit TessDavisPhotographyOrganizer
Joelle Gilmore
Organizer
Southborough, MA