Announcement!

Yes so I've been saying that I have a huge announcement to make... here it is:

I have decided to try and get approved for a Stem Cell Transplant to cure me of Devic's NMO. It is a risky procedure but is made less harsh by using my bodies own stem cells as the transplant cells. This way there will be less chance of my body not accepting the cells once my immune system has been wiped out and reset. I'll be taking the time later to post more in depth information on the procedure. The biggest hurdle of course is the fact that the procedure is only offered by one doctor at this time and it has to be preformed at Northwestern University in Chicago. This means that I will have to travel to Chicago not only for the initial evaluation but if I get approved I will have to travel back once more for the actual Stem Cell procedure. My mother will be going along with me so this adds to the cost of things that insurance will not pay for such as lodging, food, and flights back and forth. So having made the decision to go through with this my family and I have decided it would be best to set up a fundraiser to help pay for any cost associated with the Stem Cell Transplant.

A beginning:
As we all know every story has a starting point and this fund is no different. From the very start of my diagnosis and the trials I would face afterward I knew that God had chose me for a reason. Although I didn't know the exact reason I knew that through my suffering I could bring Glory to Him. I chose to follow his path. It has not been easy on me or my family and there have been a lot of tears along the way. However not everyday is bad, most are good and Love can be found in abundance where once little was showed on my part. Thankfully I have a wonderful support system and have learned along the way that instead of blaming God for giving me this disease I should put that effort into finding out how he intends to show me life through it. From day one I did not want my disease to rule me I wanted to be known as the person strong enough to fight my disabilities and live a life that God saw fit to show off. I can't say I always portray this trait, but with God's help I begin again every morning.
It's hard to say why, but from the beginning people would and still continue to pray for some miraculous healing from God. I always laughed and told them please pray for God's strength and his will because I knew deep down that if God chose for me to be healed it would be through scientific means. Honestly I don't know why I just knew! I still believe this today, I never wanted another person with this disease to look at me and say "What did you do that I didn't? Why did God choose to heal you by miraculous means and not me?" I wanted to be able to pave a way for others and to do something to help. I wanted to push research and help make advancements! That's my goal with trying to get approved for the Stem Cell Transplant... only 4 people have undergone the procedure and the 5th one is being prepped.
Thanks to a very generous person I will hopefully be able to achieve this. On New Years Eve I was telling my family more news about the Stem Cell Transplant and the fact that we would be having to fly out to Chicago... a very good friend was there for this conversation and it was the first time he was hearing of my decision. At some point during the conversation he stood up and some change fell out of his pocket... along with the two dollar bills he took out. I jokingly told him that he needed to donate that to my Stem Cell Transplant fund... that at the time did not even exist. He then tried to hand me his keys with the advise that I should go to the middle console and whatever money I found I could have as my first donation. I turned him down saying no I was only kidding I don't even have the fund set up and I don't want to carry around a bunch of change right now. He then walked out and brought back a bank envelope which he handed to me. I chocked because what I though was going to be the bank envelope with the dollar bills ended up having $100 inside. I immediately tried to hand it back and told him I could not accept that. I was told that if I didn't it would be spent on beer since it was New Years Eve and that I should use it for something good. I had just payed to God that morning that if he wanted me to go through with the Stem Cell Transplant that he would open the first door wide. Of course God knows me and decided to show off and blow the door off the hinges so that I would have to accept his path. So because of God and Mike Boquist I will now be opening my fund raising account with the first donation of $100! I know that he will never know just how much that initial donation means to me but I do know that it was a gift from the heart. I just pray that God will use it to further his kingdom through me and this path I've been chosen for.

It needed a name:
Yes so people have to know what cause their donating to and they have to have something to sign their money over too... so because of what started out as a joke about pocket change turning into an answered prayer my fund raising account will be called "Pocket Change Cure for Devic's NMO." Sounds catchy enough I think. :] Basically that's it for now Tuesday I will be going to set up the account with the bank to make everything "legal." Joy! I'm going to start working on all the details so stay tuned for updates not only to this side of my life but also the actual purpose for this blog: my journey through God's Word. <3

First Donation to Pocket Change Cure for Devic's NMO :)