KISS MS GOODBYE
Donation protected
What about this:
Meet my sweet friend Gra Doherty. She has been pediatric Nurse at Wolfson Children’s Hospital for more than 15 years. She loves taking care of children and has two son’s of her own. On August 1, 2017 she woke up and realized quickly that the entire left side of her body was numb from her chest to her toes, both front and back. On August 21, 2017, she was diagnosed with Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis, RRMS, after multiple lesions of enhancing demyelination in her brain and down her spinal cord were discovered on her MRIs. The neurologist explained that Gra’s immune system was attacking her Central Nervous System and that unfortunately there was no cure. Unable to accept that she would never get better, Gra started to research Multiple Sclerosis treatments and discovered HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELL TRANSPLANT, known as HSCT.
Dr. Burt at Northwestern in Chicago was successfully halting aggressive, active forms of RRMS, like Gra’s. The treatment basically involves harvesting Gra’s stem cells, and then giving her multiple doses of high dose Chemotherapy to destroy her malfunctioning immune system. Once her immune system is destroyed, Gra will receive her Stem Cell Transplant and regrow a new, normally functioning immune system.
The cost of HSCT is approximately $125,000 and involves many trips from Jacksonville to Chicago for evaluations, pretesting, Chemotherapy, mobilization, harvest of stem cells, and transplant. She is extremely fortunate that her insurance company has agreed to cover the cost of the transplant, however she is responsible for two insurance deductibles equaling around $15,000 as well as all of her travel fees, hotel stays etc. Gra is creating a foundation called Kiss MS Goodbye with the mission of providing financial assistance to MS patients in need, who qualify for HSCT with Dr. Burt. Gra hopes to lessen the stress of the financial burden that goes along with HSCT that she has been struggling with first hand.
All funds donated will be used to pay Gra’s outstanding medical bills, medications and travel expenses. All additional donations will go to the Kiss MS Goodbye Foundation so that Gra can continue to do what she does best: educate, advocate, serve and care for others as they struggle to halt the progression of their incurable disease.
Meet my sweet friend Gra Doherty. She has been pediatric Nurse at Wolfson Children’s Hospital for more than 15 years. She loves taking care of children and has two son’s of her own. On August 1, 2017 she woke up and realized quickly that the entire left side of her body was numb from her chest to her toes, both front and back. On August 21, 2017, she was diagnosed with Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis, RRMS, after multiple lesions of enhancing demyelination in her brain and down her spinal cord were discovered on her MRIs. The neurologist explained that Gra’s immune system was attacking her Central Nervous System and that unfortunately there was no cure. Unable to accept that she would never get better, Gra started to research Multiple Sclerosis treatments and discovered HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELL TRANSPLANT, known as HSCT.
Dr. Burt at Northwestern in Chicago was successfully halting aggressive, active forms of RRMS, like Gra’s. The treatment basically involves harvesting Gra’s stem cells, and then giving her multiple doses of high dose Chemotherapy to destroy her malfunctioning immune system. Once her immune system is destroyed, Gra will receive her Stem Cell Transplant and regrow a new, normally functioning immune system.
The cost of HSCT is approximately $125,000 and involves many trips from Jacksonville to Chicago for evaluations, pretesting, Chemotherapy, mobilization, harvest of stem cells, and transplant. She is extremely fortunate that her insurance company has agreed to cover the cost of the transplant, however she is responsible for two insurance deductibles equaling around $15,000 as well as all of her travel fees, hotel stays etc. Gra is creating a foundation called Kiss MS Goodbye with the mission of providing financial assistance to MS patients in need, who qualify for HSCT with Dr. Burt. Gra hopes to lessen the stress of the financial burden that goes along with HSCT that she has been struggling with first hand.
All funds donated will be used to pay Gra’s outstanding medical bills, medications and travel expenses. All additional donations will go to the Kiss MS Goodbye Foundation so that Gra can continue to do what she does best: educate, advocate, serve and care for others as they struggle to halt the progression of their incurable disease.
Organizer and beneficiary
Lisa Linscomb Dillard
Organizer
Jacksonville, FL
Graceann Doherty
Beneficiary