Joe Tuccillo's Medical Fund
Donation protected
Joe is a co-worker, friend and hard working Signalman with Metro North Railroad. He is also a Race Car / Subaru enthusiast who recently became ill and diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Joe is in for a long road to recovery and rehabilitation and is in need of our support. Please read the letter about Joe and his illness and pass it on. Any donations are appreciated and will help in all his medical expenses.
For those of you that know Joe Tuccillo, he is one of the most sincere, most caring men you will ever know. For those that do not know him, you would wish you did. For several years, Joe has battled several difference Auto-Immune diseases, and his most recent, most severe battle just started.
On September 29, 2016, Joe was admitted to Vassar Brother Medical Center in Poughkeepsie, NY due to loss of feeling in his feet and legs. A few days later he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome.
Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a disorder in which the body's immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system. The first symptoms of this disorder include varying degrees of weakness or tingling sensations in the legs. In many instances the symmetrical weakness and abnormal sensations spread to the arms and upper body. These symptoms can increase in intensity until certain muscles cannot be used at all and, when severe, the person is almost totally paralyzed. In these cases the disorder is life threatening - potentially interfering with breathing, blood pressure or heart rate. Guillain-Barré syndrome can affect anybody of any age. The syndrome is very rare, afflicting only about one person in 100,000. (Lucky Joe!)
Joe started to receive Immunoglobin (IVIg) therapy for 5 days. In October, he was sent to Helen Hayes Hospital in Haverstraw, NY for rehabilitation but has been back and forth to hospitals for blood transfusions for Anemia. This is a common side effect of the IVIg treatments. He has also had a 2nd available treatment for GBS known as Plasmapheresis, a plasma exchange in the blood. Plasma exchange is a method by which whole blood is removed from the body and processed/cleaned, so that the red and white blood cells are separated from the plasma. The blood cells are then returned to the patient without the plasma, which the body quickly replaces. This technique seems to reduce the severity and duration of the Guillain-Barré episode because plasmapheresis removes antibodies and other immune cell-derived factors that could contribute to nerve damage. He had this treatment 5 times over a 10 day period. Each and every time it knocked him out, but he was visibly progressing. He is going thru a lot of nerve pain and is currently on Lyrica and Neurontin. At this point he can’t really move much; just very minimal movement in his arms and legs.
Since there is no known “cure” for Guillain-Barré syndrome, only therapies to lessen the severity of the illness, Joe’s recovery could take months or even Years (for a full recovery). Remember, GBS patients face not only physical difficulties, but emotionally painful periods as well. It is extremely difficult for patients to adjust to sudden paralysis and dependence on others for help with routine daily activities. So I ask you, as a friend of Joe’s for almost 30 years, please donate whatever you can to help with his medical expenses, therapies etc and yes, every little bit helps. Prayers graciously accepted as well.
Sincerely, Kristi Plass
For those of you that know Joe Tuccillo, he is one of the most sincere, most caring men you will ever know. For those that do not know him, you would wish you did. For several years, Joe has battled several difference Auto-Immune diseases, and his most recent, most severe battle just started.
On September 29, 2016, Joe was admitted to Vassar Brother Medical Center in Poughkeepsie, NY due to loss of feeling in his feet and legs. A few days later he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome.
Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a disorder in which the body's immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system. The first symptoms of this disorder include varying degrees of weakness or tingling sensations in the legs. In many instances the symmetrical weakness and abnormal sensations spread to the arms and upper body. These symptoms can increase in intensity until certain muscles cannot be used at all and, when severe, the person is almost totally paralyzed. In these cases the disorder is life threatening - potentially interfering with breathing, blood pressure or heart rate. Guillain-Barré syndrome can affect anybody of any age. The syndrome is very rare, afflicting only about one person in 100,000. (Lucky Joe!)
Joe started to receive Immunoglobin (IVIg) therapy for 5 days. In October, he was sent to Helen Hayes Hospital in Haverstraw, NY for rehabilitation but has been back and forth to hospitals for blood transfusions for Anemia. This is a common side effect of the IVIg treatments. He has also had a 2nd available treatment for GBS known as Plasmapheresis, a plasma exchange in the blood. Plasma exchange is a method by which whole blood is removed from the body and processed/cleaned, so that the red and white blood cells are separated from the plasma. The blood cells are then returned to the patient without the plasma, which the body quickly replaces. This technique seems to reduce the severity and duration of the Guillain-Barré episode because plasmapheresis removes antibodies and other immune cell-derived factors that could contribute to nerve damage. He had this treatment 5 times over a 10 day period. Each and every time it knocked him out, but he was visibly progressing. He is going thru a lot of nerve pain and is currently on Lyrica and Neurontin. At this point he can’t really move much; just very minimal movement in his arms and legs.
Since there is no known “cure” for Guillain-Barré syndrome, only therapies to lessen the severity of the illness, Joe’s recovery could take months or even Years (for a full recovery). Remember, GBS patients face not only physical difficulties, but emotionally painful periods as well. It is extremely difficult for patients to adjust to sudden paralysis and dependence on others for help with routine daily activities. So I ask you, as a friend of Joe’s for almost 30 years, please donate whatever you can to help with his medical expenses, therapies etc and yes, every little bit helps. Prayers graciously accepted as well.
Sincerely, Kristi Plass
Organizer and beneficiary
Mike Beyers
Organizer
Croton-on-Hudson, NY
Joe Tuccillo
Beneficiary
