My beautiful wife, Michelle Larsen is critically ill and she desperately needs your help. After several months of failing health and many visits to specialists and the hospital, my wife was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis or MS, a progressive disease of the Central Nervous System (CNS). Multiple MRIs showed many lesions in her cervical and thoracic spinal cord, as well as a few in her brain. A spinal tap was done as well and the consensus was she has probably had MS for at least 10 years, but due to her years of physical training, the effects of it had been minimized… until last December. Over this past year, Michelle has tried many conventional medications to treat her condition. She is currently taking Copaxone injections, but her health continues to decline. Michelle experiences numbness, weakness in her left leg, worsening vision, widespread neuropathic pain, gait issues, and severe problems in her ribcage known as “MS Hug”. As a result of her condition, she very rarely leaves our home, and her neurologist predicts due to how long she has clearly had this disease, she will need a wheelchair within 2 to 3 years.
Michelle is a kind person who has a passion for dog rescue. She has been rescuing dogs with high medical needs for all of her adult life. Our latest rescue is an 86-pound Dogo Argentino. Because of her MS, Michelle is having trouble handling her. We currently have three rescue dogs here, and more than ever, Michelle wants to gain back her strength in an effort to continue her passion for dog rescue. Despite her prognosis, there is much hope for my wife. Michelle and I have learned of a specific therapy for MS patients called hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, or HSCT. This involves the transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells, derived from her bone marrow or peripheral blood. It is completely non-embryotic. After extensive screening, Michelle has been approved for this therapy. It is the only known possible cure for MS, and patients are reporting good outcomes. Michelle will have stem cells with no memory of disease harvested, undergo chemotherapy treatments, then her stem cells will be replaced.
Michelle’s HSCT therapy is expected to take place out of the country for about a month. We are grateful to God she has been accepted into this program, but the cost to fund HSCT is monumental and not covered by health insurance. HSCT is my wife’s only hope of staying out of a wheelchair, and the success in clinical trials has been amazing. It will cost upwards of $60,000 plus the cost of travel, lodging, meals, supplements and a caregiver. Asking for financial support is extremely difficult for us, and especially hard for Michelle. Until now, her MS has been kept a secret. More than ever, I want to help my wife afford this treatment and give her the chance at a better life and future. I don’t want Michelle to end up in a wheelchair, so we are asking for your help at this time. We have already refinanced the house and taken the equity out of it to go toward HSCT, but we are still far short of the money needed.
To help with this financial burden, a fundraising campaign in Michelle’s honor has been established with Help Hope Live, a trusted nonprofit organization that has been providing community-based fundraising guidance to patients and their families for more than 30 years. All donations are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law, are held by Help Hope Live in the South Central Stem Cell Transplant Fund, and are administered by Help Hope Live for transplant-related expenses only. To make a donation, please click on yellow DONATE NOW button.
Thank you ahead of time for your thoughts, prayers and support. Any donation amount is one step closer to a brighter future and chance for Michelle to get the treatment that she deserves.
Gratefully,
Erik Larsen, Michelle’s loving husband and best friend, [email protected]
