Our dad, Horace, needs your help

Our dad, Horace B. Williams, Jr., has spent much of his life taking care of others. He grew up in the rural south, attended segregated schools, and worked at the local railroad station assisting his father, a station porter. He graduated at age 16, valedictorian of his high school class, earning tuition assistance to Xavier University in New Orleans. After college, he sent money home to help support his family and help pay the college tuition of his three siblings. He continued, over the years, with assistance from his siblings (all of whom earned college degrees) to pay for the higher education of his nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, and many mentees, citing education as his pathway from poverty to the middle class.

He is a veteran of the U.S. Army and worked as a pharmacist for many years, working well into his mid-80s. He also went on to earn his doctorate in Public Administration. The recession of 2008-09 affected his retirement savings so, today, he relies on his Social Security check to cover his expenses. Throughout his life, he has done things to make other people's lives better. Sometimes they were little things that helped people who had lost their way. Other times he did bigger things that significantly changed the course of people's lives. Those he helped financially may not have realized how selflessly he sacrificed his own well-being to protect them, uplift them, or help them fulfill their dreams.

Several years ago, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, a brain disorder that affects movement, balance, and other cognitive functions, such as learning and memory. The isolation that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic curtailed his ability to go to the gym at his local senior center for more than two years. Prior to the pandemic, he was there three days a week and benefited greatly from the elliptical trainer, treadmill, and weight machines. He could walk on his own at a reasonable pace. Over the last two-and-a-half years, his health has declined sharply and he now walks very slowly and must rely on a cane or a walker. He has fallen four times in the last year alone, experiences pain whenever he stands up, and his posture is severely stooped.

In March 2021, a new treatment was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that has demonstrated astounding results in clinical trials for brain-related disorders. The treatment is called PoNS, which stands for Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator. It is a non-surgical medical device that gently stimulates the tongue's surface to excite the neural network flowing to the brain. This neural activity is believed to enable neuroplasticity, which can restore lost functions such as balance, memory, and regular gait.

Unfortunately, the U.S. has been slow to establish clinics that use PoNS and information has not been forthcoming on when PoNS will become available. Meanwhile, our dad’s health and quality of life continue to decline. We recently learned that PoNS has been approved in Canada where more than 25 clinics are offering it. The treatment protocol is 14 weeks long and requires patients to arrive four days prior to treatment and be onsite five days a week for the first two weeks. Afterward, patients are seen weekly for the remaining 12 weeks; this can be done virtually or in-person.

We have researched several of the clinics and have found one in Surrey, BC, Canada. This is a 2.5 hour flight from where we live. Because my dad cannot travel alone, our sister will arrange to work remotely in Canada for three weeks and will accompany him on this trip. After covering both of their travel and accommodation costs, she will not have enough to cover the cost of the treatment itself. Unfortunately, our dad’s health insurance will not cover any of the treatment cost because it is still considered experimental in the U.S.

The purpose of this fundraiser is to cover the cost of the treatment which will exceed $20,000 (USD). Our dad will turn 90 this November and it’s our collective wish that he be able to celebrate this milestone birthday with his loved ones, without pain and with improved brain and balance functions. If you have benefited from our dad's kindness and generosity, please consider making a donation and sharing this GoFundMe campaign widely so that we can all finally take care of him the way he has always taken care of us.

Thank you so much for your consideration.