Stem Cell Therapy Needed to help Kathy Gould

On December 7, 2014, it took only four seconds to completely change Kathy Gould’s life.  A tragic fall down a flight of stairs rendered her a quadriplegic, with an incomplete spinal cord injury – which means the spinal cord was not severed.  This once active, outdoor-loving mother of  thirteen year old daughter Franki,  would spend the next year in two different hospitals, fighting to convince her body to respond and move.  Paralyzed from the chest down, Kathy is unable to enjoy a ‘normal’ life, however she has shown what we consider to be some interesting feats for someone in her condition; thanks to specialized physiotherapy at a wonderful clinic in London Ontario, Kathy has been able to push and pull between 27 and 35 lbs by herself on a hip/glute machine.  She can feel almost all of her body, although she cannot tell if she is hot or cold.   She can slightly move her arms and hands and sometimes her legs, but is unable to grip with her hands, therefore cannot feed herself at this time.  However, on 4 or 5 occasions in the past 3.5 yrs, Kathy has been able to freely move her arms, hands and legs...however within 5-7 days of this activity, UTI infections arise , which cause major issues, and she loses this movement.   

Kathy has a remarkable opportunity offered to her, she was recently cleared for Stem Cell Treatment in Seattle, Washington!  To say she is excited is an understatement.  Dr. Tami  Meraglia of  US Stemology and the Seattle Stem Cell Clinic believes that Kathy can improve with specialized stem cell treatment.  This specialized clinic has worked with other people in Kathy’s condition and some of these people are now walking with walkers and canes. 

We need assistance to help Kathy reclaim her independence and freedom.   There will be the stem cell treatment, the cost of taking a PSW and Kathy’s sister, airfare from Toronto, Ontario to Seattle, Washington for three, hotel for three nights, special lift rental (to get Kathy in and out of bed), wheelchair rental, ground transportation from airport and from hotel to clinic, meals and expenses.

  All of this is in U.S. dollars.   The estimate is approximately $33,000.00 U.S. , or approx $45,500.00+ Canadian.  The Stem Cell Treatment covers two treatments, one on the initial visit, and another in 5 months.

The past four and a half years have been very stressful on Kathy, her caregiver sister Sue and the rest of her family, particularly her daughter Franki, now 18.  Through all of this tragedy and difficulty, Franki has still managed to be on the honour roll through all four years of high school and has been deemed an Ontario Scholar. She graduates in November of this year (2019) and her dream is that her Mom will be able to attend the school for her graduation ceremony, without the wheelchair.

Kathy is a daughter, mother, sister, aunt and friend with a wicked sense of humour, a love for the great outdoors, animals and gardening.  She swears that when she gets out of that wheelchair, she will never sit down again!  She wants nothing more than to spend quality time with her daughter and family and to make up for this past four and a half years of time in a wheelchair. We are asking that you consider making a donation of any amount that you can, to help our friend and family member become her miracle.

We thank you profoundly from our hearts for your donations and we will keep you updated on Kathy’s progress.