Please Help Make a Difference!
My name is Maria Ryan and I was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in 2001. Relapsing-remitting means that symptoms, such as a vision problem in my case, can come and go making it difficult to detect. Prior to 2001, I was living the life I had worked hard to achieve. I was extremely active, I ran 5k’s, I boxed and I owned and operated a successful dog training business where I lived my passion every day.
I started experiencing symptoms that prompted me to visit my eye doctor and after hours of testing, he made an appointment for me to see a neurologist. The next day, I had my first brain MRI only to be unexpectedly diagnosed with this life changing disease. I was blown away and devastated by the diagnosis, especially since I was at the peak of my career and physical health. Over time, strange things started to happen to my body, such as my left leg dragging causing me to randomly trip and fall. I slowly began to lose feeling in certain areas and was no longer able to run 5k’s, nor could I box anymore. Not long thereafter, I had to make the decision to sell my business in order to prepare for my unknown future. Selling my beloved business I had worked so hard to build was a huge blow to me, both financially and emotionally, leaving me in deep despair.
Multiple sclerosis has stolen many things from my life, not just a successful career. Today my entire body is almost completely numb, I have very little stamina, my hands shake, I have very poor balance, like being drunk and I fall almost daily. I’ve had to start using a cane, shopping using a motorized carts at the grocery store, which are a pain to control with limited motor ability and I have had to get a wheelchair. I have to hire someone to mow my lawn, change my oil, clean my house, etc. I went from being a totally independent, successful entrepreneur and amateur athlete to a person who is now searching for a way to beat the clock of MS.
Alas, I have found a new sense of hope in a treatment that will repair my central nervous system. This is a miracle treatment! I am fundraising now in the hope that I will be able to take advantage of an adipose (fat) stem cell treatment. The doctors extract my fat using a mini liposuction machine. The fat is spun down to harvest my stem cells, which are injected into different areas of the body. For example, they will inject the cells into my left leg so it will stop dragging, into my spine to heal the lesions so I can walk without falling and into my nasal passage to reach my blood brain barrier to heal the many lesions on my brain. These lesions on my brain and spinal cord are what cause me to decline physically each day.
The cost of the stem cell treatment is $9,900.00. Through the generosity of friends, family and many former clients that I remain in contact with, I have been able to raise $1,500 over the past few months. That is a great start but still far from the amount needed to get the treatment. To help with this financial burden of my uninsured expenses, a fundraising campaign in my honor has been established with HelpHOPELive, 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, are held by HelpHOPELive in the Southeast Stem Cell Transplant Fund, and are administered by HelpHOPELive for transplant-related expenses only. Please, consider a contribution.
For credit card contributions, please click the yellow Donate Now button.
Helping people and their pets with behavior issues is one of my greatest passions and I would give anything to continue that work again. Please help me raise the funds I need to make this life changing treatment a possibility.
With sincere gratitude,
Maria Ryan (727-434-1378)
Updates (24)
January 4, 2017
thank you for those who donated!!! i'm get closer with every dollar!!!
January 4, 2017
December 12, 2016
During this Season of Giving Rufus & I would like say Happy Holidays!! I want to thank everyone for donating this past yr!! Remember Every Donation is TAX Deductible as long as you donate by December 31,2016! So don't forget you Tax Savings!!!
October 23, 2016
Just a quick update. Even though the page doesn't reflect it I have $1,000 in addition to the $2,300 raised! I only have $6,600 to go. Yay for me. Please share my page with your friends and family. I appreciate any help! Happy Sunday
September 6, 2016
First I want to thank everyone who had shared my story, donated money or gifted me your time or service for no charge. I am so grateful to all of you. I'm reaching out to everyone for your help with fundraising ideas and helping make it happen. Helping me make it happen is the most important part. I am asking for people to come together for me in a way that I never have before. This is not an easy task for me at all. I am/was the one who would and could help everyone else and now I am in a position to ask for your help. One of the most difficult things for me is to ask for help. I'm not just asking for a donation but to actually help raise the rest of the money for my Stem Cell Treatment. Time is slipping away and my body gets worse as time goes on. I feel like a burden sometimes because of my physical limitations. I was always able to take care of myself and others financially & physically. Now I am asking for your help. I know some of you are more behind the scenes of fundraising and other are able to go out and ask for things. Maybe we can start a committee or something. I am open to ideas and conversations about how you can help. To say that I would be forever grateful would be an understatement. I don't have words for what this mean to me. Thank you all for your time and consideration with this.
July 6, 2016
PAY IT FORWARD! Tony Robbins Life and Wealth Mastery is a unique opportunity for you to transform your life, wealth, health & spirituality.
This event is valued at $7,995.00. It was part of a package my sister purchased 2yrs ago. She cannot attend this conference and the ticket will go to waste! Her spot will be transferred to whomever wins the bid. My sister is gifting me her spot to raise money for a medical treatment. I have secondary Multiple Scelrosis and I am raising money for a Stem Cell Transplant on a non profit medical website, www.helphopelive.org/campaign/9100
All donations are 100% tax deductible. Help Hope Live pays the doctors, treatment centers and hospitals directly.The cost of the Stem Cell Transplant is $9,900.00. So far I have raised $2300.00.
The Life and Wealthy Mastery conference will have many life changing speakers such as, Depok Chopra and Dr. Dean Ornish. Check out the entire list of world renowned speakers plus event information here www.tonyrobbins.com
Take control of your life and wealth, plus help provide a life changing treatment for me to receive this Stem Cell Transplant. This is the closet thing to a cure, if not a cure. Please read my campaign www.helphopelive.org/campaign/9100
Check out my Ebay listing
Event dates
September 16-24 2016
Marco Island, FL
March 22, 2016
I would like to thank Sonia Johnson and Carrie Honeycutt for making contributions to my fund!!! Thanks you all so very much! I'm now up to $2300.00 Getting closer all the time. Please keep sharing my campaign. I am forever grateful to all those who have contributed because it's a second chance at life again.
February 1, 2016
Update of the month! I have so many things to be grateful for yet today I feel trapped and frustrated. Trapped by my disease and frustrated that I can't do anything about it!! Talk about sucking for someone who has always been able to "fix" my own problems and provide for myself no mater the situation. Whether it was one job or three to get what I needed. So please share my campaign. Only $7,630.00 left. In the grand scheme of things that's not a lot of money. But right now it seems so far out of reach. So help me and share share share thanks everyone. I do appreciate it even if I seem negative today!
January 3, 2016
I received 2 donations!! Thank you so very much. All I want to do is get btr & this gives me hope
January 3, 2016
Happy New Year!! I just received a donation getting me closer to my goal!! Thank you so much!!
December 23, 2015
As Christams whips into my life like a whirling dervish and I keep moving and doing everything I can all that's in the back of my mind is I need to get this transplant. The struggle is real but my will is so strong. I won't give up the fight! Please share my page and donate by December 31,2015 for a tax savings for 2015!
Merry Christmas to everyone!! Be safe and live your life to the fullest!!!
November 19, 2015
It's been a few wks since my last update! It's not easy asking for help especially financial when I've been independent my entire life! This stem cell transplant will be the answer to living my life again. Please share my campaign!!! Thank you all for you support!
October 30, 2015
Just a quick update! I started my low carb diet!! OMG I miss pasta LOL. I'm doing everything I can to control my health and eating right for me is one of the best ways for me do this!.Please keep sharing my campaign!
October 8, 2015
Hi All! Another update! I'm getting closer!!! I looked at my page and there are two more donations!!! Thank you Colleen Russo and to the anonymous person :) Thank you Thank you Thank you!! Please keep sharing my campaign.
October 4, 2015
Good Morning everyone!! Just a quick update! Please keep sharing my campaign for this amazing opportunity for a second at life and getting back to what I love the most, training dogs!!
September 19, 2015
Nancy Thank you sooo much for your donation!!! I truly appreciate your support!!!
September 18, 2015
Wow!! Thanks to my sister & AMRAP fitness Cross fit gym raised $350.00 and donated it to my campaign!!! Thank you so much!!!
September 16, 2015
Hi again! Seems I've missed a few thank yous! Thank you CJ, GiGi & Connie and i know who you are with the clown email ;) Thank you for your support! i'm getting closer with every donation! Please keep sharing my campaign :)
September 16, 2015
Hi All!! Another donation came in yesterday!! Thank you sooo much Carolee :) Please keep sharing my campaign!!!! Every little bit helps. Even a dollar :)
August 19, 2015
Just an update for everyone! If any of you have any fundraising ideas please contact my fundraiser co-ordinator, Susann Reiher @ SReiher@helphopelive.org I want nothing more then to get this treatment. My whole life would change for the better and I can start to do what I love to do the most, train dogs and help people who need my help! So please help me and get involved with fundraising ideas! Have an awesome night!
August 4, 2015
I checked my pg & another $50! Yay! THX for the support! Share my pg
August 4, 2015
Thanks Carrie! I love you too and appreciate your support!!
August 1, 2015
So I came on here to update today and see a donation of $100.00!! YAY The only problem is I can't see who did it!! So Thank you too the person who donated to my campain!! I appreciate it more then you know. Especially with a day like yesterday when I fell 2 times. Once in the AM and once in the pm and then had to leave a kick ass event because couldn't hold me head up anymore and just needed to lay down :( But my awesome nephew Christopher made my life so much btr :) I couldn't have done any of it with him <3 But today is a btr day!! Thank you guys for reading. Please share my page :)
July 29, 2015
Hi every one! I know it's been a long time for any updates on my stem cell treatment. Well I closed my gofund me account. I having been working with HelpHOPELive for the last month to get my page up and running. With HelpHOPE Live I have my very own fundraiser coordinator. Please visit my page.
Guestbook
August 4, 2015
I love you Maria. You are so strong and such an encouragement to me.
Carrie Honeycutt
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Help Hope Live
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In honor of Maria Ryan
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Help Hope Live
2 Radnor Corporate Center
Suite 100
100 Matsonford Road
Radnor, PA 19087
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