Medical Travel Expenses

Ryan was diagnosed with Early Onset Parkinson's Disease in June of 2022 at age 43. Many people think Parkinson's is an "old person" disease; those diagnosed under 50 only make up 10-20% of all cases. Because of the rarity of his diagnosis and other concerning accompanying symptoms, he is going to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, in late December for additional testing.

This first visit to Mayo Clinic aims to have additional testing done to determine if Ryan has "just" Parkinson's or a variation called Multiple System Atrophy (MSA). MSA has a much worse prognosis than Parkinson's. Unfortunately, there is no cure for Parkinson's or MSA, and being diagnosed at such a young age has given him a devastating prognosis for his future. Any of you who know Ryan personally know how fiercely independent he is, how hard he works, and how demanding his profession as a diesel mechanic/welder is. His goal is to continue working for as long as it is safe and healthy for him to do so.

We were told, when scheduling, to plan on at least 3-5 days of appointments and testing. The holidays are an expensive time for all, but adding in the unexpected travel expenses out of state and any copays not covered by health insurance is a financial burden for anyone. Any donated amount will be used for travel expenses for this and future medical expenses.

I will use this fundraiser as a care page update as well. From the bottom of our hearts, we sincerely thank you for all the prayers, well wishes and concern everyone has already shared with us.