Hope for Heather

My name is Holly Tott, I am starting this GoFundMe page for my sister Heather Tott. My sister was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2008 when she was 25 years old. For those who are not familiar with MS it is a long-lasting disease that can affect your brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves in your eyes. It can cause problems with vision, balance, muscle control and other basic body functions. The effects are often different for everyone. Some people may have mild symptoms while other have major symptoms like Heather, getting around and doing daily tasks are often difficult.  MS happens when your immune systems attacks a fatty material call myelin, which wraps around your nerve fibers to protect them. Without the outer shell your nerves become damaged. Being damaged means your brain can’t send signals through your body correctly.  Your nerves also don’t work as they should to help you move and feel. As a result, you could have symptoms like having trouble walking, feeling tired, muscle weakness, numbness and tingling.  

 

Since Heather has been diagnosed she has battled with the symptoms of always being tired and with her mobility, making it very difficult for her to walk. Recently I was just scrolling through Facebook like any other day and I came upon an article about Stem cell treatment for MS. I didn’t even read the whole article I just automatically tagged Heather and my sister Nichole (who also has MS). Heather went on to do a little more research and was really intrigued by the whole article. She then contacted someone at the facility and got more information about the Stem Cell Treatment.  After weeks of filling applications and gathering all her paperwork for her doctors she finally sent it off. On August 25th 2016, I got a call from Heather. She was so thrilled and filled with excitement that her application had gotten approved. She then proceeded to tell me what the cost was and that is why I am here today. The total cost is $15,000 and they would need that in full in 10 weeks. Which would put the dead line date to fundraise money by November 1st, 2016. This is what the stem cell treatment would consist of. They will take the fat from her stomach spin it down which gets the stem cells out, cleans them up and re-energize them. Then they put the re-energized stem cells back in her blood and in the affect areas. The stem cells will then go to work repairing the parts of her brain or spine that has been damaged by MS, the re-energize stem cells will give her instant energy.

 
When talking with Heather about her MS this is what she says-
“When I got diagnosed with MS I was unsure of how this would affect my life and my family’s as well. Since being diagnose I have had a very difficult time walking and even having energy. MS has made it very difficult to do things with my children. I can no longer take my 9-year-old daughter and 14-year-old son shopping, on bike rides, to water parks, or school field trips/parties. It is hard for me to go to my sons’ football and basketball games.  All I want in life is to be that active parent that can run, jump, gallop, dance around and be silly with my kids. Since being diagnosed with MS, feel like a lazy boring person. If you know me I am a do it by myself type of person. MS has made rely on others and ask for help on things I should be able to do by myself. I want to be that person again that people can come to me and ask for help. Back when I was choosing my career I always knew I wanted to work with animals. Today I work in a Vet Clinic here in Texas. Since having MS it has made my job difficult, and my co-workers have to help me. I can no longer take the dogs for a walk at the clinic by myself or sit down on the floor and play with them on the down time.  I am hoping that stem cell therapy will help me be me again. I want to go for walks and to be able to come home and have energy to stay awake and be active rather it being playing outside to board games to watching movies with my family. Doing this therapy could help me make many more memories with my family and not to be in pain every single day! “

 

This mean so much to me as well as Heather and our family. This treatment is a possibility to make her mobile and to be active again. This will give back her freedom and pride of being able to go out and run errands, go to school functions without worrying about having to take a break and lean against a wall or looking her cane/wheelchair. Let’s all come together to help Heather achieve her goal of raising this money. Let get her out to California to complete this treatment!