Even Heroes Need Heroes
Donation protected
On Dec 16, 2019 my friend and coworker Mark Walrath was diagnosed with ALS. ALS is a fatal debilitating neuromuscular disease with no known cause or cure.
Mark (50 years old) was born and raised in Milwaukee, Oregon. He is a veteran of the United States Coast Guard where he worked at the Coast Yard in Baltimore and served during The Gulf War. After his honorable discharge, Mark joined the Baltimore City Police Department. He has been protecting and serving the citizens of Baltimore City for the last 28 years where he worked his way up the ranks to Detective Lieutenant in the Homicide Unit.
Mark has been married to the love of his life for 24 years. Together they have 3 children and 4 grandchildren, two of which he is raising as his own. The youngest of the two is Autistic with special needs.
After his diagnosis on December 16, 2019 Mark’s body was beginning to fail him and he was struggling with basic tasks. Mark began to worry about how he was going to take care of his family and be there for his 9 year old grandson with special needs. The stress was mounting and overwhelming. In August 2020, after numerous conversations with his wife and family, Mark made one of the hardest decisions of his life and took a medical absence from the Police Department.
The reality is that there is no known cure for ALS and no effective approved treatment available in the United States. Without help, Mark’s life will end far sooner than it should.
However, recently through the use of a new stem cell treatment, doctors in South Korea have been able to prolong the lives of those living with ALS through the use of a Stem Cell Therapy called NeuroNata-R. South Korea is the only country to have an approved stem cell therapy treatment for ALS. An extraordinary accomplishment for such a deadly disease. Other similar procedures are still in clinical trials here in the United States and could be years away from approval. With the average life expectancy for someone with ALS being less then 5 years from diagnosis, there simply isn’t any time to wait for a drug to be approved in the United States. The NeuroNata-R procedure is costly and requires a minimum three months of physical preparation in South Korea. Insurance will not cover the cost of the procedure. The total cost of the procedure to include flights, hotel stay, and living expenses for three months in South Korea is roughly $250,000.
My name is Jill Beauregard and I had the awesome pleasure of working with Mark since 2011. I am sharing Mark’s story in hopes that it will reach a vast audience who will help us help him fight for his life.
Any donation amount is greatly appreciated and no amount is too small. From the bottom of my heart THANK YOU for taking the time to read Mark’s story.
Mark (50 years old) was born and raised in Milwaukee, Oregon. He is a veteran of the United States Coast Guard where he worked at the Coast Yard in Baltimore and served during The Gulf War. After his honorable discharge, Mark joined the Baltimore City Police Department. He has been protecting and serving the citizens of Baltimore City for the last 28 years where he worked his way up the ranks to Detective Lieutenant in the Homicide Unit.
Mark has been married to the love of his life for 24 years. Together they have 3 children and 4 grandchildren, two of which he is raising as his own. The youngest of the two is Autistic with special needs.
After his diagnosis on December 16, 2019 Mark’s body was beginning to fail him and he was struggling with basic tasks. Mark began to worry about how he was going to take care of his family and be there for his 9 year old grandson with special needs. The stress was mounting and overwhelming. In August 2020, after numerous conversations with his wife and family, Mark made one of the hardest decisions of his life and took a medical absence from the Police Department.
The reality is that there is no known cure for ALS and no effective approved treatment available in the United States. Without help, Mark’s life will end far sooner than it should.
However, recently through the use of a new stem cell treatment, doctors in South Korea have been able to prolong the lives of those living with ALS through the use of a Stem Cell Therapy called NeuroNata-R. South Korea is the only country to have an approved stem cell therapy treatment for ALS. An extraordinary accomplishment for such a deadly disease. Other similar procedures are still in clinical trials here in the United States and could be years away from approval. With the average life expectancy for someone with ALS being less then 5 years from diagnosis, there simply isn’t any time to wait for a drug to be approved in the United States. The NeuroNata-R procedure is costly and requires a minimum three months of physical preparation in South Korea. Insurance will not cover the cost of the procedure. The total cost of the procedure to include flights, hotel stay, and living expenses for three months in South Korea is roughly $250,000.
My name is Jill Beauregard and I had the awesome pleasure of working with Mark since 2011. I am sharing Mark’s story in hopes that it will reach a vast audience who will help us help him fight for his life.
Any donation amount is greatly appreciated and no amount is too small. From the bottom of my heart THANK YOU for taking the time to read Mark’s story.
Organizer and beneficiary
Jill Beauregard
Organizer
Baltimore, MD
Mark Walrath
Beneficiary