Brandon Fowler

My son Brandon’s health has been rapidly declining. In 2014 he suffered from a rare nervous system disorder (POTS Syndrome) that made him unable to stand for more than 30 seconds without passing out. It took a year to recover, but the problems were just beginning. In May of last year Brandon began to significantly lose his eyesight and he started experiencing numbness all over his legs and he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Active lesions were found on his optic nerve and spine. Inactive lesions on his brain were also discovered, which explained his problems in 2014. Brandon has also tested positive for Lupus and two other autoimmune disorders that affect his hair, eyes, and skin. In the last few months, another MS attack damaged Brandon’s vision in his left eye again and he had another attack on his legs, this time causing serious walking problems. The situation has become urgent, but there is hope in a treatment that could stop the disease from progressing.

Brandon’s MS is extremely aggressive and his doctors fear that he could be as little as six months away from permanent disability. Brandon’s only hope for a normal life is a treatment known as a Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT). It’s a chemotherapy procedure that will delete Brandon’s current faulty immune system and “reboot” it with his own, bone marrow derived, stem cells. This will lead to an immediate halt of all disease activity and there is a better than 90% chance that Brandon will make a full recovery. Unfortunately, there is now a three year waiting list due to recent media coverage about the success of this treatment (BBC, 60 Minutes, etc.) and patient word of mouth. Fortunately, the hospital that will perform Brandon’s transplant has had an opening this summer, which they have offered him due to his rapidly deteriorating health. HSCT requires 35 days of hospitalization and is expected to cost over $60,000. Insurance does not cover this procedure and these costs are more than Brandon can handle alone.

To help with the financial burden of Brandon’s uninsured expenses, a fundraising campaign in his 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 making a contribution.

It’s too late for this treatment to help me, but it will save Brandon from having the problems I do and allow him to have a normal life. Your contribution, big or small, will make a huge difference and is sincerely appreciated.

Gratefully,

Gary Fowler, father