Our Mexican Camino: Ending MS and Finding New Life: August 23, 2017: Day 273

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

August 23, 2017: Day 273

It has been 6 days since I last posted. The days in between postings have been sporadic. I have been quite busy . We went to Cascade this past weekend to celebrate the eclipse. It was a last minute decision. It seemed foolish not to go to Cascade when we have a place there and we could experience the eclipse in it's totality. It was well worth the trip. We enjoyed devoting our entire morning to enjoying the eclipse. Our friends Lisa and Doug and there two kids came up enjoy it with us. It was really amazing. I told my daughter that I am committed to "living deeply". If there is anything that I have learned in the last few months is that life is fleeting and that we need to take advantage of our opportunities and spend time enjoying life that is what is right in front of us.

Just before leaving on Friday, Doug's new wheelchair arrived in a huge box. Last night I took the time to figure out how to get the box open (it was from China) and then figured out how to get it out of the box. Tonight I worked on putting parts of the chair together. It is now ready to drive. We were able to get this brand new chair that has bigger wheels on the back that makes it more stable for only $400 with our trade-in. This chair weighs 15 pounds more, but it collapse much more easily. Hopefully the additional weight won't be too much for me to lift. Tomorrow night I need to figure out how to collapse the old wheelchair and get it into the box to send back.

It seems like everyday I still have quite a list of things that Doug needs help with or has things that need to be one for him. While he is more independent he still has lots of needs. I keep trying to encourage him to move more on his own without the wheelchairs, but he is not very sure of himself. Please pray with me for his continued improvement.

And so we pray:

God of constancy and love. Help us to remember to see you in all things and to be thankful for all that we have in our lives. Thank you for showing us the miracle of creation in the spectacular alignment of the planets in the eclipse. We take so much for granite. But when the planets align, they remind us of the small miracles that we have in our lives each day and we give thanks. Be with Doug as he continues to heal. Give him confidence and faith in his continued improvement. Give him strength for the work that he must do to continue to improve. In your name we ask it. Amen.

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About Doug

Fr. Doug Yarbrough was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2008. Although judging from his MRI scans he probably had it for many years prior to his diagnosis. Since the diagnosis he has experienced continuous progression of the disease resulting in more and more disability.

Today he is dependent on an electric wheelchair to get around outside of his home. At home he uses a walker to walk short distances. His eyes loose focus easily and he cannot read. This is difficult for someone who has always been a voracious reader and life long learner. He experiences extreme fatigue. Most days it is all he can do to just take care of his own personal needs. We are grateful he can do that and fear the day that he will loose these skills. But with the progression of this disease that day may not be far off.

This is not the person Fr. Doug has always been. Many will remember him as an active member of his family, church, community and state. He is an ordained priest in the Episcopal Church. As a priest and community leader he has been a passionate crusader working on behalf of the poor, the abused, the homeless and minorities. He has been a husband, a father and a grandfather. He has always been the person who helps others.

Fr. Doug is a learner and believes in education to serve the common good. He has a B.A. in Education and Philosophy, a Master's in Counseling and a Master's in Religion. He has a doctorate in Educational Psychology. His education nurtured his thirst for learning, to make God known to the world and to serve others in the example of Christ. His favorite Bible passage is from Micah 6:8. In the New English Language Version of the Bible it reads "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" These words have framed his work in the church and the world.

In 2005 he was awarded the Canyon County Humanitarian Award for his contributions, care and concern for the most needy and marginalized people in Canyon County. He chaired the Nampa Shelter Coalition board and was on this board for many years. He also served for many years on the Nampa Family Justice Center and the Idaho State Domestic Violence Boards. He founded the Open Arms Baby Boutique in Nampa. This is a resource center for low-income women. The women earn points for prenatal and postnatal check-ups. They may then trade the points in for diapers, baby clothes, furniture, etc. He was on the "Success by Six" Treasure Valley committee. Fr. Doug served on the Mercy Hospital Ethics Board. All this he did while pastoring a church and serving on many church boards and committees.

After many years of service, Fr. Doug is now in need of your help. He is in the fight of his life to stop the progression of this horribly debilitating disease. Up until now, there has been little hope, but upon returning from a pilgrimage of prayer for healing we learned of a new stem cell treatment that some are calling a cure. This treatment is HSCT (Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant). Using this treatment the patient's own stem cells are harvested, then the patient's immune system is killed using chemotherapy and then the patient's own stem cells are transplanted back into their body. It works similarly to a reboot of a computer. The immune system is being rebooted. This treatment is in Clinical Trials in the United States, but in other places in the world it is being used as a treatment for MS. Worldwide data shows that more than 80% of MS patients receiving this treatment see an end to the progression of the disease and many see a reversal in disability. The brain is able to heal from the bodies own attacks on the myelin insulating sheath around that surrounds nerve fibers

Unfortunately HSCT treatment is expensive and not yet covered by insurance. To get this treatment he will have to travel outside of the country. To help pay for this treatment family and friends of Father Doug are raising money to help pay for uninsured medical expenses associated with HSCT (HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELL TRANSPLANT) to halt the progression of his Multiple Sclerosis. We don’t have time to wait for Clinical Trials in the US. Fr. Doug is rapidly progressing in disability from this disease. We have to act now if we are to save and hopefully improve the quality of Fr. Doug’s life. We have a goal of October 15, 2016 to raise all the money needed. This is the earliest possible date that the treatment may be available.

Fr. Doug has chosen to fund-raise with HelpHOPELive in part because HelpHOPELive assures fiscal accountability of funds raised and tax deductibility for donors. Donors can be sure that funds donated will be used only to pay for unreimbursed medically related expenses. To make a tax-deductible donation to this fundraising campaign, click on the Donate Now button.

For more information, please contact HelpHOPELive at 800.642.8399.

Thank you and God Bless you for your help!

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

August 23, 2017: Day 273

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