Zak's Medical Fund: Living w/ ALPS
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Hi There,
My name is Jamie. I started this account to raise funds to help treat my boyfriend, Zak Brisko.
Zak sufferes from an extremely rare genetic disorder of the immune system called autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome- or ALPS. He has been receiving treatment for his illness since he was an adolescent at NIH in Bethesda, Maryland. Unfoutionetly their funding has dwindled and he is unable to get the treatment he needs, as well as the medication (Promacta) his treament team prescribed to help manage his symptoms. Promacta is an extremly expensive medication and averages around $8,000 per bottle. His medical bills are astronmoical, and much of it has to be paid out of pocket.
I am by no means a doctor, but from what I have learned ALPS can lead to far more serious complications, ie: lymphoma. At the moment he is being precribed high doses of prednisone to increase his platelet count, and the side effects range from irritating to dangeorous when used over a long period of time.
Zak and I
Zak is a kind, gentle young man. Watching him suffer on a daily basis is heartbreaking. I would do anything to help ease his discomfort. Its really scary not knowing if he is going to be okay.
He works as a bank teller at WellsFargo Bank, and forecasts the weather for the DC area. Here is a link to his website http://www.hwpcwx.com where he forecasts the weather for the northeast region of the united states. =) He loves hockey and baseball, and is a graduate from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania with a bachelors degree in Journalism.
ALPS is a relatively new disease, and there hasn't been a lot of reaserach done. I am terrified that he will become even more sick. Without proper care and medication his condition can and will become life threatening. Zak has been in and out of the hosipital for years, suffered from collapsed lungs, (yes more than once) dealt with multiple blood transfusions, bone marrow biopsies...and he is only 25 years old. Still, he maintains a cheerful demeanor, and is always quick to crack a joke. I know that he suffers daily from his illness, and he deals with his illness with grace. Zak is well deserving of hope and support. He is a brilliant, kind, and loving young man. Despite the odds, Zak has made the most from his life.
Please help him.
Thanks for reading this!
-Jamie
My name is Jamie. I started this account to raise funds to help treat my boyfriend, Zak Brisko.
Zak sufferes from an extremely rare genetic disorder of the immune system called autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome- or ALPS. He has been receiving treatment for his illness since he was an adolescent at NIH in Bethesda, Maryland. Unfoutionetly their funding has dwindled and he is unable to get the treatment he needs, as well as the medication (Promacta) his treament team prescribed to help manage his symptoms. Promacta is an extremly expensive medication and averages around $8,000 per bottle. His medical bills are astronmoical, and much of it has to be paid out of pocket.
I am by no means a doctor, but from what I have learned ALPS can lead to far more serious complications, ie: lymphoma. At the moment he is being precribed high doses of prednisone to increase his platelet count, and the side effects range from irritating to dangeorous when used over a long period of time.
Zak and IZak is a kind, gentle young man. Watching him suffer on a daily basis is heartbreaking. I would do anything to help ease his discomfort. Its really scary not knowing if he is going to be okay.
He works as a bank teller at WellsFargo Bank, and forecasts the weather for the DC area. Here is a link to his website http://www.hwpcwx.com where he forecasts the weather for the northeast region of the united states. =) He loves hockey and baseball, and is a graduate from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania with a bachelors degree in Journalism.
ALPS is a relatively new disease, and there hasn't been a lot of reaserach done. I am terrified that he will become even more sick. Without proper care and medication his condition can and will become life threatening. Zak has been in and out of the hosipital for years, suffered from collapsed lungs, (yes more than once) dealt with multiple blood transfusions, bone marrow biopsies...and he is only 25 years old. Still, he maintains a cheerful demeanor, and is always quick to crack a joke. I know that he suffers daily from his illness, and he deals with his illness with grace. Zak is well deserving of hope and support. He is a brilliant, kind, and loving young man. Despite the odds, Zak has made the most from his life.
Please help him.
Thanks for reading this!
-Jamie
Organizer and beneficiary
Jamie Spencer
Organizer
Oakton, VA
Zak Brisko
Beneficiary
