My Grandparents MS Liberation Treatment

Please Support My Grandpa & Grandma with their
MS Liberation Treatment

Please help our grandparents raise the money that they need to have a life changing procedure performed on them! Our Grandpa and Grandma both have Multiple Sclerosis and it is no fun for them. They cannot go for walks with us or play with us for long periods of time due to fatigue and just plain not being able to move very well! They are both only in their 50\'s and they have a lot of years left. We would like to be able to spend quality time with them while we are young so that we may have wonderful memories for years to come!

Here is part of a letter that our Grandma wrote to the Premier in July of this year that will explain what is happening.

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"Dear Premier Stelmach,

My husband and I both have a disease called multiple sclerosis or MS for short.  My husband was diagnosed in 1981 and myself in 2008.  This disease has impacted our family greatly over the years. I lost my mother to the disease when she was only 41 and I was 19.  This was in 1973 when MRI's weren't around to test for this disease.  She underwent several exploratory surgeries which only served to worsen her condition and suffering. 

      Today, 43 years later although MS research has come a long way - there remains no cure but there is a treatment called the "Liberation Treatment" introduced this year by Dr. Paulo Zamboni of Italy.  The theory behind the treatment is that the disease appears to be linked to a blockage (or stenosis) of the jugular vein or veins.  The treatment is a procedure that has already been used on heart patients for many years as well as patients with collapsed veins due to kidney dialysis.  This theory is a paradigm shift that has had the medical community in an uproar for the past nine months.

      I don't really care if my disease is autoimmune or vascular.  As a native Albertan, I just want to be treated fairly.  If I have a blockage in my body I want to have it removed "“ wouldn't you?  As a result of this blasted medical condition I had to take an early retirement from my career in Municipal Government.  Although I am 56 I have a lot left to offer society and I want to be an active member.  My earning power has been greatly reduced.

      My children feel they were robbed of their father's health when they were very young.  I finished University after my husband got sick and could no longer work.  Now their mother is afflicted and we are unable to play with our grandchildren like we would like to because our balance is precarious.  Every time we plan an outing we have to consider how much walking will be required, if we need a wheelchair or if we should just forget the hassle it causes everyone involved.  Many simple pleasures have been taken away from us.  A reduced quality of life, a short career window and missed family opportunities are what we have to look forward to.

            Sir, I am not too proud to BEG YOU to seriously consider having the Province of Alberta fund the liberation treatment by allowing ALL MS suffers in Alberta to be tested for blockages and if blockages are found to allow the already tried and true procedure called an angioplasty to be performed on those who wish to have it done.  Did you know that some MS patients are taking medications that cost thousands of dollars per month?   As a tax payer the economic sense of this treatment versus expensive treatments with side affects is the way to go.  My husband and I can't afford to fly to a different part of the world for this treatment. Why leave the country when we have an excellent medical system right here in Canada and indeed Alberta?

      People with MS feel we are being discriminated against because our blockages are not heart or kidney related.

      Time is of the essence here.  My husband has already waited for 29 years for something like this to come along.  There is still hope for us to once again be contributing members to society and our community.  Please assist us by helping Albertans get this treatment before it is too late!  I've already lost my mother to this disease and our quality of life to date has been greatly impacted "“ the affects are now filtering down to the 3^rd generation. 

Respectfully yours,

Wendy Ramberg, fellow Albertan 

cc:  Honorable Gene Zwozdesky, Minister of Alberta Health Services, Honorable Doug Griffiths, MLA for Battle River-Wainwright" 

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So, the Canadian government is not rushing to get this done and we would like our grandparents to get better so that they have hope for the future in their lives!

Please help us! They will be traveling, along with our mommy/auntie, to the USA in order to have the \"Liberation Treatment\" done. But because neither of them are able to work full time jobs, they just can\'t afford the cost.

We can\'t wait to be able to play at the playground with them one day soon, we are so excited for that especially!

Thank you!
Hunter, Jolie, & Jemma




Costs are as follows in US funds:
Venogram: $5000 times 2 patients = $10,000
Angioplasty: $2000 times 2 patients = $4000

Food, lodging, travel, incidentals for 3 travelers: $3000

We are aiming for a goal of $20,000 just in case other things come up that we need to cover.

If you live in Alberta, you can also donate at any Alberta Treasury Branch under the donation trust: Perry & Wendy Ramberg.