Helping a Friend and Family

A industry colleague is currently undergoing an unbelievable journey and we wish to help him and his family in any way we can.  Your generous donation, no matter the size, will help the family greatly.  Below is an abbreviated description of what happened to Tim and what he faces.

"As most of you know Tim has been off work since mid December.  Tim woke up one morning with numbness and lack of control and movement in his legs and arms.  They of course went to the emergency.  After some fairly extensive testing, it was determined that Tim has been afflicted with what is known as Guillian Barre’ Syndrome.  What is this you ask?  Here is one link that explains it better than I could. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001704/ but in short, it is when your body’s own immune system starts to attack itself and begins to damage and shut down the good organs and muscles etc.  your body is at war with itself…

 Tim’s condition was and is still very serious.  He has undergone plasmapheresis multiple times.  This is where they draw his blood out and run it through a filtering system and try to replace affect plasma cells with healthy clean ones.  He has had to have a tracheotomy to allow him to breath as his respiratory system was under attack and fluid begins to fill the lungs.  On account of this Tim has been on and off a respirator.

 Tim has some involuntary muscle movements and cramping, but he is now able to at least wiggle his toes and hands along with nod his head.  Anything Tim tries to do exhausts him greatly.  

 Tim is currently at Bethesda North Hospital in Cincinnati.  His wife has shared with me that they are expecting to be able to be moved to the LTAC (long term acute care) wing inside Good Samaritan Hospital later this week.  As the name implies, it is a long term and acute care facility.  Tim has a long road ahead and the full extent of that road to recovery is not fully known at this time.  They do know that he will have to relearn several motor skills such as walking.  Fortunately Tim is young, strong and a fairly quick learner, and we a positive outlook that his recovery will be swift."