Support Dean's Fight Against Progressive MS

Dean was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS in 2008 just after his 40th birthday.

He has been married for 24 years to an amazing woman named Laura, and they have three adult children: Madison, Michael, and Blake.

When he was diagnosed, he had been married for about seven years. He had served our country, was an avid outdoorsman and weightlifter, loved to ride his Harley, and he loved his career in sales and all the people it afforded him to meet.

Over the next several years, he quickly became more and more symptomatic and ended up in a wheelchair, unable to walk, isolated from his once normal life.

Family has always been the most important thing to him, and to now accept that he was no longer the provider for his family was incomprehensible to him. He was humbled and embarrassed by his lack of mobility, not to mention the inability to provide financially for his family, and in his mind, he could no longer be the husband or father he desired to be.

He was hospitalized several times between 2009 and 2012, suffering from sepsis twice and nine different pulmonary embolisms. Laura was told by doctors on two separate occasions that she should prepare herself and that he probably wouldn't be coming home.

Mentally, he was lost. He couldn't understand why God spared him to live as a shell of his former self, but God had other plans for him other than giving up.

So, he began an incredible journey in 2017! He found an MS trainer, Laura became his personal chef, and his faith was renewed and hope was restored, making incredible mental and physical improvements!

Then, "Boom," the pandemic hit, and not to mention during that time they moved from California to Oklahoma, losing all his resources and the advances he had made.

Over the last few years since they moved, his disease has progressed from relapsing-remitting to primary progressive, and now he is unable to care for himself. Sadly, now he requires family/friends and at times an in-home nurse to assist him with the most basic daily routines.

He now requires an even more specialized electric wheelchair, and the monthly cost for his needs and specialized equipment is overwhelming. Unfortunately, insurance only covers so much.

They had been searching for a church family and a community of loving individuals. Their walk was on pause. At the beginning of 2023, Dean was introduced to Band of Brothers. Here, Dean found a profound relationship with God, one that he had been desiring for a while. With Laura by his side, Dean and Laura have a renewed walk with God and each other.

Dean progressed to being a platoon leader, guiding 8 or so men in becoming the men God wants them to be.

Through this renewed walk, Dean and Laura have become an invaluable part of the Body of Christ.

Dean and Laura's medical bills have increased and the MS has progressed. Dean needs many medical devices including in-home nurse care, which he currently does not have, leg massagers, transfer poles, transfer seats, a whole body lift, medications, just to name a few. Included is a specialized wheelchair costing over $50,000. Their part of the cost is around $4,500, which they can't come up with and it has taken two years for their insurance to approve his new chair.

We are asking for help for our brother Dean. God has an appointed mission for Dean and Laura. I pray you help us be a part of that mission.

***Breakdown of monthly costs and needed equipment.

*Monthly cost for in-home care ($1,200)

*Monthly cost for MS trainer ($250)

*Cost for Air Power exercise glove for hands ($370)

*Cost for vibrating leg massager for blood flow ($275)

*Cost for bathroom/shower chair ($850)

*Cost for transfer poles ($189 each, need 2)

*Cost for Corpus F5 VS electric power chair ($54,870, his balance $4,500)

*Video above is of his road to recovery journey I mentioned in his story.

I hope you view it. He looks forward to continuing the fight.