Help Steve & Melany Anaya Fight MS
Donation protected
I'm reaching out for a little help for my friends , Steve and Melany Anaya.
Steve and Melany are the first people to step up when anyone else needs help. I , myself am disabled and don't know what I would have done when my husband needed serious surgery a couple of years ago. Melany came up to Oregon from California to take care of both of us. In the past Steve volunteered his time teaching new recruits at the Fire Academy. He now volunteers as an EMT instructor at the Junior College. Please notice that word " VOLUNTEER" .Steve's family is no stranger to public service. He was the middleman in three generations of firefighters. How great is that ?
Steve Anaya was diagnosed with MS, an incurable disease, in 2009. He was forced to retire from his beloved job as a Fire Captain/Paramedic at the age of 48, a job he’d go back to in a heartbeat, even if they didn’t pay him. Slowly he’s been losing his ability to walk, he’s normally using either a cane or walker and has a scooter for longer trips (bought out of pocket due to his health provider denying him).
MS is a neurological disease but recent findings have suggested that there might also be a vascular component to it. This was confirmed when Steve had a Doppler and MRI of his right jugular vein, that it was 70% occluded. Until clinical trials are done, his health provider will not address the issue because it’s “controversial”. So Steve’s been forced to pay out-of-pocket for angioplasty that stretched the vein out to the correct diameter, twice (with some financial help from family and friends). Both times the vein was stretched out it shrunk back down within a couple months. Here is the link to see how he walked before the procedure and then again 3 days after. It’s astonishing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuRekpuB2qo As great as the video is, please know that Steve's condition has progressed to much worse. This video was made years ago in his early stage.
These procedures are $10,000 each and Steve’s getting ready to have his third and hopefully last angioplasty. He’s flying from CA to NY in April 2015 so he’ll have extra expenses of airfare and hotel besides the procedure cost.
MS is a terrible disease that has been around a long time. Unfortunately doctors and insurances don't all agree on the best treatment plans, even with proof in front of our eyes. So many procedures and equipment are left to the victim to pay out of pocket. Steve currently is not able to drive because his right leg is his worst, so he is also looking at the expense of having his car modified so he can safely drive again. Currently Melany has to take him to all doctor appointments, to the gym and everywhere he needs to go.
Never being one to ask for anything , he says he will pay for the procedure and doesn’t need any assistance. That is not the point. By having this procedure Steve is trying to also make others aware of angioplasty for MS. He and Melany are involved in many MS message boards and believe angioplasty could help others as well.
Many of his friends have expressed an interest in helping regardless….this is an easy way to allow anyone who wants to donate, to do so. The money will go directly to his treatment. Big or little, it’s your choice. Thank you.
If you know someone with MS, be sure to forward this link for more information about CCSVI, http://www.ccsvi.org/
Steve and Melany are the first people to step up when anyone else needs help. I , myself am disabled and don't know what I would have done when my husband needed serious surgery a couple of years ago. Melany came up to Oregon from California to take care of both of us. In the past Steve volunteered his time teaching new recruits at the Fire Academy. He now volunteers as an EMT instructor at the Junior College. Please notice that word " VOLUNTEER" .Steve's family is no stranger to public service. He was the middleman in three generations of firefighters. How great is that ?
Steve Anaya was diagnosed with MS, an incurable disease, in 2009. He was forced to retire from his beloved job as a Fire Captain/Paramedic at the age of 48, a job he’d go back to in a heartbeat, even if they didn’t pay him. Slowly he’s been losing his ability to walk, he’s normally using either a cane or walker and has a scooter for longer trips (bought out of pocket due to his health provider denying him).
MS is a neurological disease but recent findings have suggested that there might also be a vascular component to it. This was confirmed when Steve had a Doppler and MRI of his right jugular vein, that it was 70% occluded. Until clinical trials are done, his health provider will not address the issue because it’s “controversial”. So Steve’s been forced to pay out-of-pocket for angioplasty that stretched the vein out to the correct diameter, twice (with some financial help from family and friends). Both times the vein was stretched out it shrunk back down within a couple months. Here is the link to see how he walked before the procedure and then again 3 days after. It’s astonishing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuRekpuB2qo As great as the video is, please know that Steve's condition has progressed to much worse. This video was made years ago in his early stage.
These procedures are $10,000 each and Steve’s getting ready to have his third and hopefully last angioplasty. He’s flying from CA to NY in April 2015 so he’ll have extra expenses of airfare and hotel besides the procedure cost.
MS is a terrible disease that has been around a long time. Unfortunately doctors and insurances don't all agree on the best treatment plans, even with proof in front of our eyes. So many procedures and equipment are left to the victim to pay out of pocket. Steve currently is not able to drive because his right leg is his worst, so he is also looking at the expense of having his car modified so he can safely drive again. Currently Melany has to take him to all doctor appointments, to the gym and everywhere he needs to go.
Never being one to ask for anything , he says he will pay for the procedure and doesn’t need any assistance. That is not the point. By having this procedure Steve is trying to also make others aware of angioplasty for MS. He and Melany are involved in many MS message boards and believe angioplasty could help others as well.
Many of his friends have expressed an interest in helping regardless….this is an easy way to allow anyone who wants to donate, to do so. The money will go directly to his treatment. Big or little, it’s your choice. Thank you.
If you know someone with MS, be sure to forward this link for more information about CCSVI, http://www.ccsvi.org/
Organizer and beneficiary
Kelly Estes
Organizer
Beaverton, OR
Steve Anaya
Beneficiary