HSCT Stem Cell Treatment for Poppy
Donation protected
My name is Bailey Smith. I am the daughter of Greg Nobles and we are trying to raise money for HSCT (Hemoatopoetic Stem Cell Transplant.) We live in Conway Arkansas where he owns a Hair Salon, The Jordan Bailey Group that's named after myself and my brother, Jordan Nobles. He has owned his salon for 23 years, where I've had the privilege to work for the past 9. He has not been able to work since March of this year. He and my mom Carla have been married for 32 years and prior to that high school sweethearts for 5. Also a dad to two, and a poppy to 4 beautiful girls, Hailee age 12, Charleigh age 4, and twin girls Lennon and Sloane 21 months.
He has been Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis for 15 years and battled it very well until the last 9 months when our lives have changed drastically by this disease. When he was first diagnosed we were told it could be several things when he lost control of his right hand and was dropping color bowls, couldn't button his own pants, and had no control over his hands at all. He was out of work for 4 weeks and took a heavy round of steroids by IV to get some relief. Through the years, he has had many flair ups, but never bad enough to make him out of work this long. When he took off in March, he was walking with a cane and taking several falls. By May moved to a Walker. Between May and end of July he moved to a wheelchair. He went 4 months of not being able to get into his bed and spending all his time in a lift chair. He has done 4 Tysabri infusion that we feel like have just made him worse and not helped at all. He has done a lot of physical therapy and is completing 2 weeks of being admitted into a rehabilitation hospital. The dr here has told him he didn't look like he would get better and actually recommended stem cell Transplant.
MS is a disease in which your own immune system attacks the central nervous system (of the brain and the spine) causing lesions, scars and damage to the nerves.
Stem Cell Transplants combined with Chemo have been a standard cancer treatment for decades, but only in the last ten, fifteen years have these stem cell transplants been applied to autoimmune diseases, like MS. In a nutshell, HSCT doctors harvest your clean, healthy bone marrow stem cells that do not contain the diseased cells attacking your nerves. They then administer chemo to wipe out the diseased immune cells. Lastly, they give the patient back their own clear, healthy stem cells. The procedure essentially shuts down the immune system and then turns it back on, with no memory of dysfunction. The results of this procedure are stunning –over 86% of patients find their MS is completely halted, they go into full remission, and are gaining back abilities that they had lost as their nerves repair themselves and grow healthy. Patients are leaving their canes and wheelchairs in the hospital, walking out, with complete halt of the disease. What’s so great is that this is not an experimental procedure. Since 1967 HSCT has been done more than two million times around the world, and is to date the most effective treatment to durably halt underlying disease activity and progression of MS.
Dad and mom would both be gone for a month to Mexico for this treatment. So they will need help with travel and housing for that long. Anyone who knows dad knows he is very fearful of flying. He has agreed to fly to Mexico if that's what it takes to be able to get treatment. Please continue to pray to calm him as this has always been a huge fear to him!
Anyone who has had the privilege to know dad knows he has a one of a kind personality. His sense of humor and heart to give for others is the best thing about him! It has been the hardest thing I've ever seen to watch him loose his ability to walk so fast. He trys to keep his spirits up most days, but some days are very emotional. These babies want their poppy back where he can play and chase them or just have the strength in his hands to pick them up on his own. It was very hard for dad to come to a point to be ok with a go fund me to help and give him hope for treatment. We have nothing else to loose at this point, but to try this! Please don't feel like you have to donate and please know no amount is too small. If you are not able to donate and can share it and pray God guides him where he needs to be and watches over him through treatment. Our family appreciates it more than we could ever put into words.
He has been Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis for 15 years and battled it very well until the last 9 months when our lives have changed drastically by this disease. When he was first diagnosed we were told it could be several things when he lost control of his right hand and was dropping color bowls, couldn't button his own pants, and had no control over his hands at all. He was out of work for 4 weeks and took a heavy round of steroids by IV to get some relief. Through the years, he has had many flair ups, but never bad enough to make him out of work this long. When he took off in March, he was walking with a cane and taking several falls. By May moved to a Walker. Between May and end of July he moved to a wheelchair. He went 4 months of not being able to get into his bed and spending all his time in a lift chair. He has done 4 Tysabri infusion that we feel like have just made him worse and not helped at all. He has done a lot of physical therapy and is completing 2 weeks of being admitted into a rehabilitation hospital. The dr here has told him he didn't look like he would get better and actually recommended stem cell Transplant.
MS is a disease in which your own immune system attacks the central nervous system (of the brain and the spine) causing lesions, scars and damage to the nerves.
Stem Cell Transplants combined with Chemo have been a standard cancer treatment for decades, but only in the last ten, fifteen years have these stem cell transplants been applied to autoimmune diseases, like MS. In a nutshell, HSCT doctors harvest your clean, healthy bone marrow stem cells that do not contain the diseased cells attacking your nerves. They then administer chemo to wipe out the diseased immune cells. Lastly, they give the patient back their own clear, healthy stem cells. The procedure essentially shuts down the immune system and then turns it back on, with no memory of dysfunction. The results of this procedure are stunning –over 86% of patients find their MS is completely halted, they go into full remission, and are gaining back abilities that they had lost as their nerves repair themselves and grow healthy. Patients are leaving their canes and wheelchairs in the hospital, walking out, with complete halt of the disease. What’s so great is that this is not an experimental procedure. Since 1967 HSCT has been done more than two million times around the world, and is to date the most effective treatment to durably halt underlying disease activity and progression of MS.
Dad and mom would both be gone for a month to Mexico for this treatment. So they will need help with travel and housing for that long. Anyone who knows dad knows he is very fearful of flying. He has agreed to fly to Mexico if that's what it takes to be able to get treatment. Please continue to pray to calm him as this has always been a huge fear to him!
Anyone who has had the privilege to know dad knows he has a one of a kind personality. His sense of humor and heart to give for others is the best thing about him! It has been the hardest thing I've ever seen to watch him loose his ability to walk so fast. He trys to keep his spirits up most days, but some days are very emotional. These babies want their poppy back where he can play and chase them or just have the strength in his hands to pick them up on his own. It was very hard for dad to come to a point to be ok with a go fund me to help and give him hope for treatment. We have nothing else to loose at this point, but to try this! Please don't feel like you have to donate and please know no amount is too small. If you are not able to donate and can share it and pray God guides him where he needs to be and watches over him through treatment. Our family appreciates it more than we could ever put into words.
Organizer
Bailey Nobles Smith
Organizer
Greenbrier, AR