Still battling this horrible disease everyday. Melody was admitted to UMMC in early August 2024 with another relapse and loss of vision in the left eye. We were desperate to try and save the vision as much as possible. Her doctors from Mayo sent instructions and after 18hrs in the ER, she finally began to receive the medical care needed. We hope to be able to travel back to the Mayo Clinic soon to get a full checkup with new MRI images in early fall. The financial burden of traveling back and forth to the Mayo Clinic is expensive but we know it is the ONLY place Melody can get the care she needs. Thank you all for your support!! 

⭐️Update⭐️

June has been a very busy month for me. Early in my care I signed up for a clinical trial with the Mayo Clinic. As my health continued to deteriorate in April and May, my mom and I began to research other doctors. The best doctor was at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota but from all we read, it was almost impossible to get an appointment. Then on June 23 my phone rang and it was Dr. Flanagan’s nurse!! She said my case file was on her desk with the word URGENT in all caps. Only God!!! She asked how quickly we could get there. With the help of my family, we hopped on a plane Saturday morning and stayed at the Mayo Clinic for 2 1/2 weeks. I received the absolute best care! My care team is amazing and so attentive. Lots and lots and lots of tests! I was worn out everyday but I also got answers I had so desperately been searching for. I have one of the rarest forms (1:1,000,000) of MOGAD and I am prone to multiple relapses. We have a solid treatment plan for the next 6 months. I am just waiting on the cooperation of my insurance. I will have to fly back every 3-6 months for testing etc. All of this to say, your prayers are being heard!!! I am so grateful!!! I still have a long road ahead of me but I feel more confident in my care and less anxious. Thank you again for your love and generosity. 

All my love,

Melody 

Hello everyone! This is totally out of my comfort zone. However we’ve had so many people ask how they could help us during this time, that I wanted to at least honor those requests and set up an account.

Some of you may or may not know that my wife, Melody, was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease back in December. From that point forward she has been hospitalized on three different occasions and receiving treatment the best that Dr. know how to help. Unfortunately, this autoimmune disease, called MOGAD, has no FDA approved medications or treatments. She’s currently in a trial with the Mayo clinic and we are hoping to have good results there. In December, she lost vision in her left eye. In February, she was back in the hospital for 14 days for vision loss in her right eye (Optic Neuritis) and in April, she began to lose mobility with her legs. Thankfully things are beginning to stabilize and she’s working hard to get better but this has caused her to have to resign from her career and focus on her health.

If you know anything about my wife, you know she is a giver! She would never ask for help for herself, but always want to give her last dime to someone else. We are asking if you feel led to give, we would greatly appreciate it. However, the greatest gift you could give us is to continue to pray for Melody‘s health, both physically, mentally and emotionally. We don’t know what the road ahead looks like but we TRUST God and His plan! Thank you all so much and continue to please pray for our family.

Robert Craft