Help John Lee during the post-stroke recovery process

On Thursday, Dec. 5, I suffered a right-hemisphere stroke. I spent six days in the hospital in Eureka before being transferred to Napa for intensive speech, physical and occupational therapies. There, I spent 25 days relearning how to walk, talk, shower and dress myself and rebuild my cognitive functions. I came home to Trinidad on New Year’s Eve and have been doing in-home occupational and physical therapies. While I am incredibly lucky in my circumstances and have been recovering well, there is still a tremendous number of things I cannot do due to the severe pain that I have on the left side of my body. 

 

Researching my symptoms, I stumbled across a doctor at the Institute of Neurological Recovery in Boca Raton, Florida, who has seen significant success in an alternative medicine for stroke survivors. Dr. Edward Tobinick invented a stroke treatment called perispinal etanercept (PSE), a spinal injection.

 

This injection, administered at the base of the neck, is an anti-inflammatory and attacks the buildup of a molecule in the brain called tumor necrosis factor (TNF). After a stroke, there is a chronic, inflammatory reaction that affects the way the brain communicates with its different parts.

 

This alternative/experimental medicine has seen successful improvements in cognition, motor functionality, spasticity and most importantly for me, post-stroke pain relief and muscle spasms. I truly believe that this could aid my recovery and help me get back to normal in additional to the traditional stroke recovery methods I have already been doing. There is an 80 percent success rate.

 

The injections are about $8,500 and insurance does not cover it. I plan to have two injections. We are starting this GoFundMe with a goal of 10,000 in hopes to raise enough money for one injections to aid me in my recovery. Anything additional will go toward the second injection and the travel to get to Boca Raton and accommodations for the stay. I have an appointment with Dr. Tobinick on May 1.

 

We greatly appreciate your support and consideration as I work to get myself back to 100 percent.