- Pin it
- SubscribeUnsubscribe
- Embed
Victor McCarthy hasn't added a story.
Hello,
We are a group of Victor's family and friends and we are trying to help him raise funds to finance a trip overseas, to attend a medical centre that specializes in Stem Cell Treatments. The exact centre and the exact treatment are yet to be determined.This will depend on the amount of funds raised. There are many variables involved in this type of treatment, each with their own respective cost. An example would be, an Autologous transplant (collecting a patient's own blood-forming stem cells), versus an Allogeneic transplant (collecting stem cells from a matching donor). Fortunately, it's a very hopeful time for people suffering from Multiple Sclerosis and other Auto-Immune diseases. There have been many success stories (some of which you can view on YouTube). This type of treatment is becoming mainstream in many countries around the world. Sadly for Victor, Canada is still in its developmental stage.
Please take a moment and read a little bit about Victor's life and his battle with MS. If you can financially manage a small donation, it would be truly appreciated. A donation can be made right from this page. Victor will receive 95% of the funds, and this wonderful website will receive 5%. Whether you can donate or not, please be so kind as to pass this page along, via email or social media, to as many people as you can. We thank you and are grateful for your support.
Most of you visiting this fundraising page already know Victor, but for those of you who don't please let me introduce him. Victor is 59 years old and has been fighting an uphill battle with Multiple Sclerosis for 26 years. It has been quite a battle but he has always fought with courage and grace. Victor first felt the symptoms of MS shortly after completing his first and only triathlon. Soon after that race, he was eager to begin training in hopes of improving upon his time in the next race. It was then that the symptoms hit him, and they had an immediate and devastating effect. He went from running 17 miles a day to not being able to run one block.
In 1984, just after completing college, Victor found employment with the CIBC in the Savings Application Department as a Programmer. Two years later he transferred to Host Facilities as a Programmer. His talents were recognized and he was promoted to manage a group of 7 programmers. His team was the infrastructure and the bank's applications ran on their software.
Victor was prepared to leave the bank due to his MS in 1999 when the logistics of getting to work became difficult, but in the year 2000, (potential Y2K crisis) he stayed on to ensure all applications ran smoothly. Victor left his managerial position shortly after this period and is now supported, in part, by longterm disability benefits.
In 2010, Victor, his wife Michelle and his brother Tony, all went to Egypt to have the CCSVI (Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency) - Liberation treatment. As you can imagine it was a quite an expensive endeavor. The physical benefits Victor experienced were remarkable but some affects were short lived. At that point, in 2010, Victor hadn't been able to move his right leg for many years. Amazingly, just a few hours after doctors placed catheters and balloon inflation into his collapsed and blocked veins, Victor was able to raise that same leg into the air. When he returned home we could all see improvement and thought he was on his way to recovery. Even his horrific Trigeminal Neuralgia pain was greatly reduced. Trigeminal Neuralgia is considered to be one of the most painful afflictions known. It is characterized by episodes of excruciating stabbing or electrical shock-like pains which hit one side of the face. The episodes of pain usually last up to two minutes and may occur spontaneously or be triggered by light stimulation. Victor has endured this affliction daily for over a decade.
The CCSVI results lasted for approximately one year. We believe the vein in his neck collapsed and became blocked once more. Due to the delicate nature of veins (as opposed to arteries), stents cannot be used. There is a risk of the stent becoming dislodged, migrating along the blood vessels and becoming lodged in the heart or lungs.
Prior to the MS, Victor lived a very healthy lifestyle and continues to do so today. Beginning day one, Victor has not benefitted with any traditional medicine for his symptoms. In fact all prescribed options to manage pain only exacerbated his leg weakness. Research has since determined that as varied as MS symptoms may present so too are the outcomes with medication for Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. To support his wellness, Victor employs various holistic forms. Some of the modalities include: Hyperbaric Oxygen treatments; Live Blood Cell Analysis; Reichian therapy; Homeopathy; Naturopathic Medicine; as well as following a strict diet and supplement regime. The financial impact has been staggering, but Victor attributes his longevity to these natural treatments.
The driving force that gives Victor strength to endure this battle is his love for his family; his wife Michelle, daughter Simone, and son Kristian. He once stated to me that if he were able to go back in time, he would gladly suffer MS again if it meant he could spend his life with Michelle, and participate fully with their children while they strive to achieve their own personal and professional aspirations. Victor is proud that both Simone and Kristian are excelling in university with a shared goal to positively impact healthcare for others.
In the bottom left-hand corner of the above profile photo, there is a link to additional photos. Please feel free to have a glimpse at the amazing life Victor has lived, and is living.
We, Victor's friends and family, thank you!
Highlights
See all activity185Activity
Delete media item?
Delete this item from the media gallery? It will also be deleted from any related story update.
Set as ?
The campaign video will appear in social media and email.
The campaign cover picture will appear in social media and email.
The will appear at the top of your campaign page and in social media and email.
Reset ?
It will be removed from the top of your campaign and won't be used as default in social media and email. The will remain in the media gallery.
Embed
Share a link
Delete update
Delete this story update?
Any pictures or videos will remain in the campaign's media gallery.
Report campaign
Report submitted
Thank you. We take reports like yours very seriously. Our goal is to keep the community safe.
Please know that we may contact you for more information, but that we won't notify you personally of our decision. If the campaign remains available within a few days, it's likely that we determined it not to be in violation of our policies.
Thank you. We've already received your previous report. If the campaign remains available within a few days, it's likely that we determined it not to be in violation of our policies.
Tell us about the problem. Please fill in both fields below.
Record a video
Upload a video
Nothing grabs attention for your cause like a personal video. Take a minute or two to record one now. Record a short video message of support. Or upload one from your device. You can preview or redo your video before you post it.
Nothing grabs attention for your cause like a personal video. Upload a short video message of support. Upload a short video message of support. Or record one right now.
- Most effective video length: about a minute.
- Maximum length: 5 min.
- You can preview or redo your video before you post it.
Heads up! The existing video will be replaced.
Email your friends
Join our team
Tell people why our cause matters to you. Your personal message will encourage others to help. Easy, effective, optional.
Say it in video
Short personal videos by supporters like you are incredibly powerful. Record one right now and you'll help us raise more money. Easy, optional, effective.
Add a personal goal
Set a personal fundraising goal. You'll encourage more contributions if you do. And rest easy. There's no obligation to achieve your goal or bad consequences if you don't. Easy, optional, effective.
We have a video!
Video thumbnail
We'd love to show you our campaign video. Want to take a look?
, you're already on the team.