Together for Gabriel: Hope with Stem Cell Therapy for Autism
Donation protected
This is a mother's confession. A cry for help coming from the depths of my soul.. For some time now, it was very hard for me to find the right words to describe Gabriel's condition, life and needs... I freeze...freeze from pain, freeze from excruciating emotional pain that I can't even express and I just try to swallow, trying to remain strong at all times. I also wanted to protect Gabriel's privacy and dignity from unnecessary exposure to the world. But today I am ready to tell his story. I have to. He desperately needs help. He needs you, he needs your grace. He relies on us to come together and use the power of unity, the power of humanity. His life has become unbearable to live in its current state... So here I am today - trying to do this to the best of my ability, hoping and relying on your understanding, compassion and help on the deepest human level where we can all connect as people sharing our pain and give a hand to one another.
None of this will sound like a typical, short-worded, brief and easy to digest speech. Instead I will start by describing days in our lives as it comes from my heart and as real as life has been happening.
I just sat down to write this after a night in the ER where my boy was seen for self-inflicted injury. I don't wish this upon anyone - having to bring a 7 year old child to the Emergency after a crisis and condition so severe that he saw no other way, and had no other outlet to express it but do self-harm. All days have become heartbreaking. Just the other day my son passed out from exhaustion and emotional torture after another severe crisis lasting all day. Gabriel spent the whole day crying and screaming, completely inconsolable on the floor at his special needs school, completely dysregulated, disrobing and trying to cause himself harm. It took me and 3 more people around 35 minutes to get him from his special school to the car and another 15 minutes to get him in his car seat safely with no clothes on. His body is hurt from self-harm, his soul is screaming for help unable to say a word. We drove home. I wrapped my son in a blanket as we have done many times before in his life after him refusing to wear clothes and we made it home where I dedicated myself to protecting him from more self-harm. Instead of playing outside, doing homework, playing with toys, friends or reading books, and just enjoying his childhood, he can barely live a functional life and he can barely go through a day without showing us that he is simply not well, not feeling well at all. You should see the pain and horror in his eyes when he suffers - it's like a silent cry for help that he can never fully express, never communicate, never achieve. Seeing my lovely, beautiful child who I raised with so much love and care, not allowing a hair to fall out of his head, hitting himself, unable to function, seemingly in desperation, hurts like nothing else. Nothing in this world hits you harder than seeing your child suffer without you being able to help him, at least not in a functional or permanent way. Not even with all of your endless effort, hard work and dedication, and after me and his dad have provided and continue to provide all help available, such as attending a school for special needs, ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) therapy, speech therapy, Occupational therapy, medications, endless meetings, consultations, evaluations and planning with specialists, teachers, organizations, activities, PECS (The Picture Exchange Communication System), assistive speech devices, bringing Gabriel as far as 2 hrs away to receive therapy or having people come home, you name it. We have tried and continue to try everything.
Me and Gabriel's dad have always worked incredibly hard and are doing our absolute best daily for our little child. However, Gabriel's condition seems to have only worsened and regressed over time, especially and progressively in the last 3 years and the only thing that has the potential to provide more help and give Gabriel an actual chance of feeling better is stem cell therapy.
But, who is Gabriel?
Gabriel is a 7 year old beautiful boy with the gentlest of souls and the brightest of smiles. Gabriel has been diagnosed with profound, non-verbal Autism Level 3 (Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder often accompanied with other mental issues) requiring 1:1 at all times (a lot of days and times 2:1) and maximum help available, as well as other developmental delays. We are also on the way of confirming that he very likely has ADHD and without a question severe OCD which are often conditions associated with Autism.
Gabriel is affected by Autism in absolutely every area of life - language and communication, social, emotional, academic and much more. He doesn't have self-awareness as well as any danger-awareness. He has been abandoned by family members due to his condition, and due to me refusing to "give him away" and "live my life" like they told me I should do. I will never leave my son and I will continue spending every waking hour to help him in any possible way even if that means losing people who are not good for him and who don't believe in him, or think that he is less than other children. Gabriel has also been excluded from his regular school where he attended the intense care needs class due to the school claiming not to be able to meet his needs. He is currently the most severe case in his special needs school as well. In the past, Gabriel was also discharged from private organizations providing ABA therapy due to the severity of his condition and the inability to help him. We've seen a lot of cruelty from the world including neighbor harassment as well and calling the police on Gabe just because he was upset and suffering.
Me and his dad have given up on our personal interests, lives and needs a long time ago and we have completely dedicated ourselves to helping Gabriel as the mission of our lives. We have continuously rearranged our lives to accommodate Gabriel's needs. It has been challenging to keep up with full-time jobs and no support from family or friends but we keep fighting with all we have in order to help Gabriel and make his life as functional, comfortable and happy as possible. I work nights and I sleep 1-2 hr. a day in order to take care of my boy. In each case, the amount of money needed for Gabriel to receive stem cell therapy is impossible for us to save. And he needs this help sooner than later, he needs it...today.
As the mother of Gabriel I have fought many battles...small, big, absurd ones. Battles that can break you. And I keep fighting every day. With all I've got. Please help me win the biggest one so far.
Gabriel is a fighter. I admire this little child who wakes up every day and faces the world. A world that he doesn't understand and a world that doesn't understand him. But he gets up and no matter how hard, his big spirit and brave heart face another day...day after day. Sometimes when Gabriel looks me in the eyes, I can see his love, desire to speak and express himself, as well as his deep pain and desperation of not being able to.
On a better day, Gabriel loves music, walks in nature and playing with water. He is a very loving human being. I wish I could live the day to see Gabriel actually singing with words...being happy and safe, living his life with the dignity he deserves.
Please help Gabriel. Give him a chance at life, help give him the chance to have a voice, to smile again, to understand and be understood. To stop hitting his head and hurting his body. We don't know how Gabriel feels on the inside...but it must be horror...a world where you can't say a word, you can't sign it, write it or communicate it in any way...a world where you are unwanted and rejected left and right - school sends you away, relatives just leave you because you are different and you were born disabled and so underprivileged. A reality in which you may never experience the very basics...the things we consider a given or small such as just being able to live in your body without the need of self-harm...speaking, taking basic care of yourself and the ability to stay safe, having friends, going to school, getting a job, driving a car or....having a partner, having a family one day. A reality in which instead of looking for colleges for your child one day you will have to start looking for residential or hospital care. A reality simply devastating for Gabriel and the people who love him and take care of him.
You should see him...that beautiful smile...hiding so much pain....so much endless pain from being a prisoner in his own body. Please give Gabriel a chance. A chance is all we can ask for in this life. It is one of the biggest possible gifts to give someone. A chance.
What does Gabriel need:
- After a consultation with a doctor, Gabriel is determined to need 3-4 treatments to begin with over the course of a year and possibly/recommended more after that. The clinic's name is Innate Healthcare Institute and the location is Arizona which is also a long way from where Gabriel lives and we will need help with travel expenses, too.
Why stem cells?
Stem cells are already helping people with many other conditions. Stem cells are used more and more in the treatment of Autism. Stem cell therapy for Autism is not covered by insurance. Please open this link where all common questions about stem cell therapy have been answered:
We have chosen this clinic because it is one of the very best in the United States. People from all over the country and even the world are going to this clinic. They have no reports of medium or severe side effects so far which makes this therapy very safe. They have seen improvements in over 90% of children treated with stem cells, 99% of which show these improvements after the first and the second treatment.
Please also review this link with actual parental testimonies:
The clinic is very transparent, they have numerous videos where they answer all questions. The founder of the clinic, Dr. Whitney is a remarkable man and we are so grateful to have people like him and his team who work so hard to give our children a chance.
Here is a copy of exactly what Gabriel needs and how much it will cost unless the cost increases by the time we are ready to move forward:
The plan moving forward was a recommended 1.2 billion MSCs (Mesenchymal Stem Cells) - a total of $33,000. This covers four appointments where Gabriel would receive a total of 300 million MSCs per appointment.
We can start at any level of stem cell plan anywhere in between 300 million and 1.2 billion or even higher if we can. Here is a breakdown for each of those plans below:
300 million MSCs - $14,500 (1 appointment)
600 million MSCs - $23,000 (2 appointments)
900 million MSCs - $27,500 (3 appointments)
1.2 billion MSCs - $33,000 (4 appointments)
1.5 billion MSCs - $36,000 (5 appointments)
1.8 billion MSCs - $39,000 (6 appointments)
2.4 billion MSCs - $59,000 (8 appointments)
Another crucial component in Gabriel's treatment that is important to add/work together with the MSC's are the so called exosomes. They would really benefit his treatment. Exosomes are small vesicles (also known as nanoparticles) released by cells, including stem cells, that carry signaling molecules, growth factors, and other biologically active substances. They play a role in cell-to-cell communication and are thought to contribute to tissue regeneration and healing. In stem cell therapy, exosomes are secreted by stem cells and can be used to stimulate the surrounding cells to repair and regenerate tissues.
Gabriel's plan comes with 300 billion complementary exosomes. He will need a lot more than 300 billion exosomes (considering Gabriel will receive anywhere between 100-150 billion exosomes per day for the total of 12 days divided in 4 treatments) which are calculated to come anywhere between $7.500 and $10.000.
We need $33.000 for MSC's + the expected minimum of $7.500 for exosomes, and not including the travel expenses. If we add the travel expenses, we need around another $10.000 (that would be the bare minimum) for all 3-4 trips to Arizona, for 3 people (as Gabriel needs 2:1 care most days and especially when traveling), staying at a hotel for 3 days (as the treatment requires 3 days), different transportation and return. However, we will try to cover this ourselves. Ultimately, any sum of money surpassing the initial goal may be used to help cover the travel expenses or it may go towards future treatments.
Please help Gabriel. Please help an innocent child to have a chance at a life with more dignity and independence. Let's bring Gabriel's smile back on his face.
PS: We are working with a team of professionals closely to keep Gabriel as safe as possible. He is always under care and observation. However, his condition is so severe that he may be able to cause himself harm in a split second. We are always looking for more ways and resources to keep him safe. Stem cells can help exactly with that which is our first and immediate aim along with everything else that stem cells have the potential to help with.
If you want to connect with me and learn more about Gabriel, or you have any questions, please feel free to do so. I am beyond grateful for your time reading Gabriel's story. If you are not able to donate, please consider sharing this page on your media, and with others.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Organizer
Gabriela Bearse
Organizer
Lebanon, NH