Please help my brother Jamie!
Donation protected
My brother has struggled with his health for many years; heartbreakingly undiagnosed and unable to work since 2008. No one could figure out what was wrong until April 2015, when he was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis (MG). Myasthenia Gravis is a rare neuromuscular, autoimmune disease that weakens and fatigues the body’s voluntary muscles. This leads to generalized weakness of the upper and lower extremities, bulbar, ocular and respiratory muscles.
Jamie’s MG symptoms include difficulty swallowing, choking on his food, slurred speech, respiratory distress, and double vision. The left side of his body is affected more than his right; his left eye droops and sometimes remains closed. He is unable to lift his arms or even walk.
There is no cure for this disease. MG can be generally controlled by therapies to help improve muscle weakness. He was placed on immunosuppressants, which were unsuccessful. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed too late, therefore he is considered drug resistant. His only treatment is Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG). IVIG helps the body to build antibodies to fight the disease. He receives IVIG every 2-3 weeks, which is very costly.
On April 3, 2017, Jamie had a big setback with his health. He awoke that morning vomiting and unable to walk. I assumed he had a stomach virus which exacerbated his MG. I called an ambulance to bring him to the hospital. The neurologist knew that his MG was worsening, but she felt there was something more. She ordered a CT scan. Unfortunately, the CT scan showed that Jamie suffered a cerebellum stroke. The stroke occurred in the part of the brain that controls muscle movement, coordination and balance. As a result, Jamie is paralyzed on his left side. After being hospitalized for 5 days he was transferred to Kessler Rehabilitation Center to retrain his brain.
It breaks my heart to see my brother this way. Every day Jamie worries about how he will ever pay back his medical bills. He is disabled and unable to work. He receives Social Security Disability and Medicare Part A & B. He is unable to get secondary insurance because the state of New Jersey has a right to refuse secondary insurance. All the costs that Medicare does not pay are his responsibility. The added medical bills piling up and collection agencies constantly calling are a stressor that he does not need. The stress aggravates his MG symptoms. He desperately needs help for his ongoing medical expenses.
So, please if you can find it in your heart to help my brother in some small way my family and I would greatly appreciate it. I ask that you please share this link. Thank you all so much, and please keep my brother Jamie in your prayers.
Jamie’s MG symptoms include difficulty swallowing, choking on his food, slurred speech, respiratory distress, and double vision. The left side of his body is affected more than his right; his left eye droops and sometimes remains closed. He is unable to lift his arms or even walk.
There is no cure for this disease. MG can be generally controlled by therapies to help improve muscle weakness. He was placed on immunosuppressants, which were unsuccessful. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed too late, therefore he is considered drug resistant. His only treatment is Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG). IVIG helps the body to build antibodies to fight the disease. He receives IVIG every 2-3 weeks, which is very costly.
On April 3, 2017, Jamie had a big setback with his health. He awoke that morning vomiting and unable to walk. I assumed he had a stomach virus which exacerbated his MG. I called an ambulance to bring him to the hospital. The neurologist knew that his MG was worsening, but she felt there was something more. She ordered a CT scan. Unfortunately, the CT scan showed that Jamie suffered a cerebellum stroke. The stroke occurred in the part of the brain that controls muscle movement, coordination and balance. As a result, Jamie is paralyzed on his left side. After being hospitalized for 5 days he was transferred to Kessler Rehabilitation Center to retrain his brain.
It breaks my heart to see my brother this way. Every day Jamie worries about how he will ever pay back his medical bills. He is disabled and unable to work. He receives Social Security Disability and Medicare Part A & B. He is unable to get secondary insurance because the state of New Jersey has a right to refuse secondary insurance. All the costs that Medicare does not pay are his responsibility. The added medical bills piling up and collection agencies constantly calling are a stressor that he does not need. The stress aggravates his MG symptoms. He desperately needs help for his ongoing medical expenses.
So, please if you can find it in your heart to help my brother in some small way my family and I would greatly appreciate it. I ask that you please share this link. Thank you all so much, and please keep my brother Jamie in your prayers.
Organizer and beneficiary
Tricia Milligan Finck
Organizer
Dumont, NJ
James Milligan
Beneficiary
