Turning head ….. simple? but not for my brother.

Our cause is not a common one, so to explain our cause, it is best to imagine this situation. Picture turning your head to the left, and your neck locks tight. Then try to moving your head back to its straight position but you are unable (let alone be able to turn your head to look right). Now picture keeping your head facing left for a little while, actually not for a little while, but for a day. Wait…try for a number of weeks or months on end. Visualise the frustration of trying to read this webpage while looking left. Now, try retaining your job, driving to see your family, watching a movie, keeping a relationship, preparing a meal, ordering a cup of coffee or reading a novel.

These activities we all take for granted in our day-to-day lives, but is a ongoing battle for someone suffering from neck dystonia (cervical dystonia). Dystonia is a medical condition which can turn the lives of any individual, of any age, up-side down, for no particular reason.

My brother’s battle with this incurable condition started 10 years ago. Until recent months, regular Botox injections (yes, the same Botox that some use to get rid of wrinkles ) were giving Adam some relief, so he could work, drive a car and enjoy his hobbies like running or mountain climbing. While botox involved many trips to hospital, it offered windows of relief and glimmers of hope. Unfortunately, he has since become immune to these Botox injections and traditional medicine.

While biased (being his sister), Adam is a brilliant, genuine and fun young guy who has simply had his life (hopefully temporarily) taken over by his illness. He is a hard-working and proud man, and a great member of our society.

There are some treatment options remaining - specialist physiotherapy available in UK, regular trigger point dry needling treatments and TMJ therapy (please see links below for details about each of the treatments). These treatments significantly reduce symptoms of dystonia for many sufferers, but, they are very costly and this is where my brother and I need your help. As they are not covered by the HSE, they are not funded or supported by the state.

These treatments are his only remaining hope. Our family has managed to save a proportion of the required funding, and we are torn at the fact that we are approximately €3000 short from giving Adam normality. Your gift today could help my brother to see the other, brighter side of life.

Any assistance big/small will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and to please donate what you can.

To learn about treatments we are fundraising for watch the video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwkHK3rfKO0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSuX_W7qyP8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoD37BbVeNM