Joe La Micela Needs Your Help!
Donation protected
Joseph Michael La Micela (a/k/a Pippo, Papa, Joey, Big Joey, Little Joey, Pal Joey, Pal, Legs, Mighty Joe, Big Stick, Joe, JLa, or JoeLa, depending on the time and place) is fighting for his life and humbly asks for your financial help to continue his on-going battle in Los Angeles, California. Joe is stricken with a life-altering and potentially life-threatening rare condition in which cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks are spontaneously occurring throughout his spine. CSF is the fluid that cushions and supports the brain and spine and is absolutely critical for life. Joe has been unable to work over the past year while enduring many life-threatening health challenges. He is now facing many more months, and quite possibly another year, of debilitating symptoms and excruciating pain and suffering while resolving his CSF leaks at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Joe’s current mission is to become “sealed and healed” at Cedars-Sinai and return home to reunite with his family and friends in New York City. He needs your financial help to stay alive and secure a lasting cure.
On August 19, 2017, Joe suffered an extremely painful, spontaneous CSF leak emanating from a lateral tear in his dura mater ("dura") located in his mid-spine. The dura is a critical membrane surrounding the spinal cord that prevents precious CSF from leaking out of the spine. Although he sought assistance at several hospitals and engaged many spine specialists in New York City, Joe’s lateral tear was not immediately identified; unfortunately, his condition was misdiagnosed as a cervical herniated disc issue for several months. This resulted in a bilateral subdural brain hematoma. His condition rapidly declined, and he was rushed unconscious to the NYU Medical Center in Manhattan on November 3, 2017. NYU performed a successful emergency Burr Hole surgery to remove blood and relieve pressure on his brain which fortunately saved his life.
In late January 2018, after many months of investigatory testing and evaluation by specialists, an NYU neurovascular doctor reviewing a recent brain MRI correctly diagnosed Joe as suffering from Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension (SIH). SIH is primarily caused by spinal CSF leaks and signifies low head pressure with sagging of the brain into the lower part of the skull. Upon further consultation, Joe was astonished to learn that no hospitals in the Northeastern United States are equipped to identify and repair such spinal tears and that the nearest center for CSF leak treatment was at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. Due to his bed-ridden status and residual brain hematoma, Joe was driven via emergency medical transport to Duke on February 20, 2018.
After many weeks of aggressive testing, advanced imaging, numerous blood-fibrin glue patch treatments, and a targeted, complex spinal surgery in his mid-spine on March 30, 2018, Duke was unsuccessful in repairing the lateral tear in his dura. Joe’s painful symptoms worsened, and he continued to dangerously leak CSF from his spine. Due to the serious, life-threatening complexity of his condition, Joe resolved to seek immediate treatment with Dr. Wouter Schievink at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. Dr. Schievink is considered the world's expert on SIH and the identification and repair of CSF leaks.
Once again, and after months away from his family in New York City, Joe desperately arranged for emergency medical transport from Duke and traveled cross-country to Los Angeles. Immediately following rapid testing at Cedars-Sinai during a two-day period, Dr. Schievink performed an emergency surgery on May 30, 2018 to repair the lateral tear at T7/T8 in Joe’s mid-spine utilizing two titanium aneurysm clips. Additionally, testing at Cedars-Sinai identified other potential CSF leaking sites related to the use of a lumbar drain in the previous spinal surgery at Duke, sections of thin, porous dura possibly related to multiple, invasive spinal imaging punctures (i.e., used to try to save Joe’s life by finding the exact locations of the CSF leaks in his spine), several calcified discs with bone spurs, and numerous, independent spinal cysts along Joe's mid-spine.
Due to the unresolved CSF leaking and resultant SIH, Joe continues to suffer from a multitude of chronic, unrelenting major symptoms (among so many others that are not listed): terrible headache pain and pressure; severe back of head and base of skull pain/tension/pressure; entire neck pain/tension/pressure/stiffness with pulsating nerve and fluttering sensations; dizziness, brain fog and sinus pain/pressure; hearing loss, muffled/clogged ears and ringing in the ears; extreme, painful sensitivity to sound and touch; horrific, continuous spine pain with radiating nerve pain/impulses/twitches and burning sensations throughout the torso and back; muscle atrophy and chronic deconditioning from lack of movement; radiating, burning nerve pain from spine to arms and legs with muscle spasms/twitches and numbness; breathlessness, shortness of breath and coughing; weight loss due to muscle atrophy and lack of activity; and terrible fatigue and weakness.
After more than fifteen months of excruciating pain and suffering, countless evaluations and testing procedures, multiple blood-fibrin glue patches, and three major spinal surgeries (most recently on August 23, 2018), Joe is likely facing many additional challenges in the future to resolve his CSF leaks and finally become permanently “sealed and healed”. Notwithstanding the threat to his life and the severe and debilitating symptoms associated with chronic CSF leaking, this condition is curable through targeted, surgical “sealing” procedures, patch treatments, significant bed-rest, stringent bodily movement restrictions, and gradual physical rehabilitation. It is imperative that Joe is permanently “sealed” at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles before returning home to New York City.
Prior to being stricken with this debilitating disease at 46 years old, Joe had been employed as a dedicated, hard-working attorney in the Compliance Department at Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P. in Manhattan since 2013. After graduating from St. John’s University School of Law in 1999, Joe pursued a career on Wall Street as a litigation and compliance attorney at Republic National Bank, HSBC Bank USA, Bear Stearns & Co., Inc., and J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. Joe was extremely active and has many wonderful memories of sharing time with his family and friends. Joe also enjoyed playing baseball, softball, stickball, running in New York Road Runner charity races, training for the NYC Marathon, and regularly playing soccer, going on hiking adventures and riding bikes with his children, John and Jessica. Joe hopes to return to his former active life and career one day, but prays and dreams of simply rejoining his wife Vicky, John and Jessica, and his mom, Rose, in Astoria, New York to continue being an engaged, loving husband, father, son and friend.
Although Joe and his mother have been living with extraordinarily gracious friends in the Los Angeles area for the past five months as he continues treatment with Dr. Schievink and the team at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, his persistent struggle to heal and return to his family will require many additional months at best, and quite possibly another year. Your life-saving financial contribution will ensure that Joe can continue to absorb associated medical expenses not covered by health insurance and arrange for a modest apartment rental (including payment of other living expenses) in the Los Angeles area. You can help Joe win the battle for his life! The La Micela Family will be forever grateful in their hearts for your generous gift, helping Joe return to his cherished life with family, friends and colleagues.
Please find additional information regarding spinal CSF leaks at:
https://www.cedars-sinai.org/programs/neurology-neurosurgery/clinical/csf-leak.html
https://radiology.duke.edu/patient-care/specialized-services/spinal-csf-leaks-2-2/
https://spinalcsfleak.org/
Joe La Micela and his family need your help!
Hope springs eternal and is the best stimulant of life!
Thank you for your generosity and caring support.
On August 19, 2017, Joe suffered an extremely painful, spontaneous CSF leak emanating from a lateral tear in his dura mater ("dura") located in his mid-spine. The dura is a critical membrane surrounding the spinal cord that prevents precious CSF from leaking out of the spine. Although he sought assistance at several hospitals and engaged many spine specialists in New York City, Joe’s lateral tear was not immediately identified; unfortunately, his condition was misdiagnosed as a cervical herniated disc issue for several months. This resulted in a bilateral subdural brain hematoma. His condition rapidly declined, and he was rushed unconscious to the NYU Medical Center in Manhattan on November 3, 2017. NYU performed a successful emergency Burr Hole surgery to remove blood and relieve pressure on his brain which fortunately saved his life.
In late January 2018, after many months of investigatory testing and evaluation by specialists, an NYU neurovascular doctor reviewing a recent brain MRI correctly diagnosed Joe as suffering from Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension (SIH). SIH is primarily caused by spinal CSF leaks and signifies low head pressure with sagging of the brain into the lower part of the skull. Upon further consultation, Joe was astonished to learn that no hospitals in the Northeastern United States are equipped to identify and repair such spinal tears and that the nearest center for CSF leak treatment was at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. Due to his bed-ridden status and residual brain hematoma, Joe was driven via emergency medical transport to Duke on February 20, 2018.
After many weeks of aggressive testing, advanced imaging, numerous blood-fibrin glue patch treatments, and a targeted, complex spinal surgery in his mid-spine on March 30, 2018, Duke was unsuccessful in repairing the lateral tear in his dura. Joe’s painful symptoms worsened, and he continued to dangerously leak CSF from his spine. Due to the serious, life-threatening complexity of his condition, Joe resolved to seek immediate treatment with Dr. Wouter Schievink at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. Dr. Schievink is considered the world's expert on SIH and the identification and repair of CSF leaks.
Once again, and after months away from his family in New York City, Joe desperately arranged for emergency medical transport from Duke and traveled cross-country to Los Angeles. Immediately following rapid testing at Cedars-Sinai during a two-day period, Dr. Schievink performed an emergency surgery on May 30, 2018 to repair the lateral tear at T7/T8 in Joe’s mid-spine utilizing two titanium aneurysm clips. Additionally, testing at Cedars-Sinai identified other potential CSF leaking sites related to the use of a lumbar drain in the previous spinal surgery at Duke, sections of thin, porous dura possibly related to multiple, invasive spinal imaging punctures (i.e., used to try to save Joe’s life by finding the exact locations of the CSF leaks in his spine), several calcified discs with bone spurs, and numerous, independent spinal cysts along Joe's mid-spine.
Due to the unresolved CSF leaking and resultant SIH, Joe continues to suffer from a multitude of chronic, unrelenting major symptoms (among so many others that are not listed): terrible headache pain and pressure; severe back of head and base of skull pain/tension/pressure; entire neck pain/tension/pressure/stiffness with pulsating nerve and fluttering sensations; dizziness, brain fog and sinus pain/pressure; hearing loss, muffled/clogged ears and ringing in the ears; extreme, painful sensitivity to sound and touch; horrific, continuous spine pain with radiating nerve pain/impulses/twitches and burning sensations throughout the torso and back; muscle atrophy and chronic deconditioning from lack of movement; radiating, burning nerve pain from spine to arms and legs with muscle spasms/twitches and numbness; breathlessness, shortness of breath and coughing; weight loss due to muscle atrophy and lack of activity; and terrible fatigue and weakness.
After more than fifteen months of excruciating pain and suffering, countless evaluations and testing procedures, multiple blood-fibrin glue patches, and three major spinal surgeries (most recently on August 23, 2018), Joe is likely facing many additional challenges in the future to resolve his CSF leaks and finally become permanently “sealed and healed”. Notwithstanding the threat to his life and the severe and debilitating symptoms associated with chronic CSF leaking, this condition is curable through targeted, surgical “sealing” procedures, patch treatments, significant bed-rest, stringent bodily movement restrictions, and gradual physical rehabilitation. It is imperative that Joe is permanently “sealed” at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles before returning home to New York City.
Prior to being stricken with this debilitating disease at 46 years old, Joe had been employed as a dedicated, hard-working attorney in the Compliance Department at Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P. in Manhattan since 2013. After graduating from St. John’s University School of Law in 1999, Joe pursued a career on Wall Street as a litigation and compliance attorney at Republic National Bank, HSBC Bank USA, Bear Stearns & Co., Inc., and J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. Joe was extremely active and has many wonderful memories of sharing time with his family and friends. Joe also enjoyed playing baseball, softball, stickball, running in New York Road Runner charity races, training for the NYC Marathon, and regularly playing soccer, going on hiking adventures and riding bikes with his children, John and Jessica. Joe hopes to return to his former active life and career one day, but prays and dreams of simply rejoining his wife Vicky, John and Jessica, and his mom, Rose, in Astoria, New York to continue being an engaged, loving husband, father, son and friend.
Although Joe and his mother have been living with extraordinarily gracious friends in the Los Angeles area for the past five months as he continues treatment with Dr. Schievink and the team at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, his persistent struggle to heal and return to his family will require many additional months at best, and quite possibly another year. Your life-saving financial contribution will ensure that Joe can continue to absorb associated medical expenses not covered by health insurance and arrange for a modest apartment rental (including payment of other living expenses) in the Los Angeles area. You can help Joe win the battle for his life! The La Micela Family will be forever grateful in their hearts for your generous gift, helping Joe return to his cherished life with family, friends and colleagues.
Please find additional information regarding spinal CSF leaks at:
https://www.cedars-sinai.org/programs/neurology-neurosurgery/clinical/csf-leak.html
https://radiology.duke.edu/patient-care/specialized-services/spinal-csf-leaks-2-2/
https://spinalcsfleak.org/
Joe La Micela and his family need your help!
Hope springs eternal and is the best stimulant of life!
Thank you for your generosity and caring support.
Organizer and beneficiary
Len Patti
Organizer
Staten Island, NY
Joseph La Micela
Beneficiary
