As most of you know, I've been in a wheelchair since I suffered a spinal cord injury in 1984. As you might expect, it's been a daily challenge to deal with this injury, but God has blessed me in many ways and enabled me to keep a positive attitude over the last 40 years.

In the beginning, I started to get some use of my arms and legs back and that was encouraging. I naively thought that my recovery would only be a matter of time, but the improvements plateaued. However, even the restricted mobility I have has enabled me to avoid many of the difficulties quadriplegics deal with, including skin breakdowns and urinary tract infections. In fact, I went 35 years without being in a hospital and my dad often joked that other than being in a wheelchair, I was the healthiest one in the family! Again, a blessing from God.

The year after I got hurt, Marc Buoniconti was injured playing football and several years later Christopher Reeve broke his neck when he was thrown from a horse. These two high-profile injuries brought a lot of attention, and money, to spinal cord injury research. Again, I naively assumed that this meant a cure was only a few years away. While there have been discoveries that can lessen the severity of acute injuries, we are decades down the road and there are still only glimmers of hope for those with chronic spinal cord injuries.

As I mentioned, God has blessed me in many ways. Despite my injury, I was able to complete my bachelor's degree and pursue a master’s, have worked for two great companies, have an amazing wife and son, and have been living in a wheelchair-accessible home in Florida for the last 30 years. Along the way there have certainly been times when I've been down, I call them mini depressions, but those are the times that God shows me the way that my situation is encouraging somebody else in need. This, and the love of my wife, are what have helped me stay focused on the positive for nearly four decades.

Of course, I wouldn't be writing this if everything was wonderful. In 2020, something changed, and it wasn't COVID-related. We realized that my bladder was no longer emptying as well as it had been. Remember when I said I had been able to avoid urinary tract infections (the bane of paralyzed people) all those years? Well, that was because I was able to use an external catheter. However, this new development would mean I would have to switch to an internal catheter. I now have a tube that goes through my belly and into the bladder in order to drain the urine, and it needs to be replaced every 3-4 weeks. As you can imagine, this setup is prone to infections. After not visiting a hospital for 35 years, I have now been to the ER countless times with a clogged catheter and admitted three times for severe UTIs, two of which turned into sepsis.

As bad as these last three years have been, I still believe everything happens for a reason. The day I went into the hospital to get the internal catheter placed, the anesthesiologist, after seeing how much movement I had, asked me if I had ever looked into the stem cell treatments that are being done in other countries. Unfortunately, I didn't get to ask him more about it and I just thought if other countries could do it, ours would be doing it too. (I guess I really am naive :) ) A year later, another doctor asked me a similar question. This led me to do some research, but it's very hard to tell what is being done, what is safe, and whether something is working. Finally, earlier this year, I was at the celebration of life service of a very close friend and mentor. Near the end, I was sitting by myself while Roseann was saying goodbye, and another guest came up to me and asked me if I’d mind telling him about why I was in the wheelchair. During our conversation, he explained that he had been involved with regenerative medicine for over 20 years, and in addition to the work that he did in the United States, he was affiliated with several clinics doing stem cell treatments in other countries. He asked if he could send me some website links and other information.

Long story short, after several months of research, sharing my medical history, and several Zoom calls with Doctor Howard and Doctor G, we've established a treatment plan that has the possibility of improving my situation. The phrase “improving my situation” is extremely general. It could mean relief of the constant discomfort I have on my left side. It could mean improvements to my bowel and bladder functionality, and possibly getting rid of the suprapubic catheter. It could mean improved motion in my arms and legs and more independence in taking care of myself. It could mean less work for my family and a reduction of medical bills. Of course, there are no guarantees and there could be no noticeable changes, but from what I've learned, I feel that is highly likely not to improve something, and it really seems worth pursuing. Medically it is very low risk, and ethically, their process does not go against my religious beliefs. Their stem cells are harvested from healthy umbilical cords that are donated after a healthy birth, and the cells go through extensive DNA testing to ensure there are no genetic issues.

As you would expect, because this isn't happening in the United States and it's not approved by the FDA, there's no hope of help from insurance. Because of the naivety I mentioned along the way, I never put up an emergency fund dedicated to a non-insurance coverage cure, and the last 3 years have taken their toll financially. While I could certainly take on a load of debt to do this on my own, I do not believe that should be my first option. That is why I am starting this GoFundMe page and sending the invite out to those I think might be able to help without it stressing their own finances, because I see that as worse than stressing out my own. The posted goal would cover the cost of the treatment, travel, and taking a healthcare person with us so the work would not all be on Roseann. Even though there are no guarantees, I hope you will consider supporting me in order to get this done. Who knows, maybe I'll be able to come and shake your hand or give you a hug to say thanks one day.

I've made reference to my faith several times above, and someone might ask why I think God let me get hurt in the first place and why he doesn't just heal me in some miraculous way. I don't believe God caused my disability, but I do believe he allows things like this to happen so that he can use them for his purposes. I've seen numerous examples of how the way I deal with my disability on a daily basis has made a difference in other people's lives. Whether face to face, through calls, emails or letters, I've been told I've helped others out of their mini depressions (one even shared she was having thoughts of suicide). We’ve also been told that Roseann and I have touched the lives of numerous people we've come in contact with over the years as they see us overcoming this daily challenge together. While I know God could continue to use my disability for his glory, the situation with the three doctors over the last three years makes me think of the story of the holy man and the flood. Two boats and a helicopter offered to rescue him from the roof of his house, but he continued to say, “God will save me.” When he drowned and got to heaven he asked God, “Why didn't you save me?” God replied, “What do you mean, I sent you two boats and a helicopter!” I see these three doctors as my two boats and the helicopter, and I'm ready to grab onto the helicopter’s ladder!

If the monetary goal is surpassed, any excess will be donated to a disability-related charity I used to support. Whatever you decide, you deserve my gratitude just for reading this far!