Julie Gould

Julie Anne Gould is only 45 years-old and she desperately needs your help. A loving wife and mother of three, Julie is suffering from a progressive autoimmune disorder called diffuse scleroderma. After 8 months of feeling ill, Julie was told that she has a progressive, life threatening and terminal illness. Scleroderma is a debilitating disease that increases the collagen production in all connective tissues of the body; joints, skin and all internal organs may be affected, and Julie currently has lung, heart, digestive and musculoskeletal involvement. Julie is likely to face continued health obstacles and if she does not receive proper treatments to halt her scleroderma in its tracks, her condition will continue to deteriorate.

Julie is under the care of the FDA approved clinical trial at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. She is being evaluated for HSCT, or non-embryonic stem cell therapy using her own stem cells to treat her scleroderma. While she undergoes extensive medical testing, she travels back and forth to Chicago from Kansas in an effort to gain final approval for treatment. Once approved, the entire process will take several months and many round trips to complete. Julie is fortunate to have health insurance that will pay for most of the estimated cost of the $150,000.00 for the FDA approved therapy. Unfortunately, the out-of-pocket portion will add up to thousands of dollars by the time Julie has completed her journey. She will face extensive travel and lodging fees, meals, and large insurance deductibles and copays. Julie will need a full-time caregiver and her out-of-pocket expenses will be more than she can handle alone. Unable to work because the HSCT treatment will consist of chemotherapy, Julie will soon be immunocompromised, or without any immune system for several months. Because Julie is a nurse who works in a setting with potential infectious health risks, she will not be able to work until her stem cells have rebooted her weakened immune system. Julie enjoys her work and looks forward to the day she is able to return to her job. The HSCT therapy should halt the progression of her scleroderma and Julie will finally face much needed relief.

Julie would like to grow old with her first love and high school sweetheart, Pat. Her children are still young and need their mom to guide them through life; Peyton 17, Madeline 13, and Benjamin 10 would like to see their mother around as long as possible. After much research, Julie is finally hopeful for a brighter and healthier future; what an amazing feeling! Julie’s tentative HSCT transplant date is July 13th, 2016, and she is seeking your financial support to help make this treatment date a reality!

To help with this financial burden, a fundraising campaign in Julie’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 Midwest/West Stem Cell Transplant Fund, and are administered by Help Hope Live for transplant-related expenses only. To make a donation to this fundraising campaign, click on the yellow DONATE NOW button. For more information, please contact Help Hope Live at 800.642.8399.

Thank you ahead of time for your continued thoughts and prayers. Julie wants to thank you in advance for all of your help, kind thoughts and prayers, and of course your financial support

Gratefully,

Julie’s loving husband, children and friends