When my wife, Roxie, told me
that she and our friends were planning another fundraiser for me, I told her
that I would like to write this year’s letter. What a blessing that I am able
to do this (with her help).
First of all, I’d like to thank
ALL of you for your various means of support! There is no earthly way I would
be alive today without the help of my stem cell fund. Having a resource for my
treatments is amazing because I know so many people don’t have this privilege. Thank
you for being a part of my journey through your concern, prayers and financial help.
Here is some background on the challenges I’m facing. Three years
ago I was 85 pounds and confined to my bed unable to move for weeks at a time. I
had and still have, painful fractures all down my spine due to advanced
Osteoporosis, Aplastic Anemia (a life threatening blood cell disorder), and
advanced Lyme Disease (plus co-infections). At that time, it took two people to
help me move because I was so fragile, and my parents, wife and caregiver had
to tend to my every need at all hours of the day and night. It was the lowest
point of my life. I believed that I would not be around for long. In a final
effort, I asked if I could do the one thing I had not tried—Umbilical Stem Cell
Transplantation (USCT). On the day that we did my first USCT injection, we
received a random call letting us know that a family friend would provide
funding to do multiple treatments. God was not allowing me to go home yet. 
Those initial treatments
saved my life. I have regained: mobility around my home; brain function that
allows me to remember things, to read and write again; metabolism to put on desperately
needed weight to cushion weak bones; and the ability to comfort and counsel
others with health issues. The USCT and supporting treatments have kept me
stable, but right now I am slipping into a dangerous place. I am down to 95
pounds, have continuous low red and white blood cell counts, and am battling
constant pain, fatigue and weakness. USCT is the only protocol that has helped
me, and up to this point we have only been able to afford unmatched umbilical
stem cells. My goal for this coming year is to try HLA (Human Leukocyte
Antigen—immunologically matched tissues and blood) typed umbilical stem cells
which are considerably more expensive: $32,000 for testing, searching for a
match, harvesting and administering the cells. However, the benefit to my body
would be 200 million matched cells rather than 5 million unmatched cells. I
liken this to putting a new engine in an old car rather than getting a tune up.
This would be entirely out of pocket for us on top of our other medical
expenses.
To help kick off this fundraising
effort, our devoted friends, Matt Borst and Kevan Morshed, are again holding a
golf tournament in my honor. The 3rd
Annual Nathanael Daggett Lyme Disease Awareness Golf Tournament will take
place in Santa Fe, New Mexico on Saturday, October 12, 2013. We are not only
looking for more golfers than ever, but also for sponsors and volunteers who
would like to help with planning and running this event. Please see the
enclosed flyer for details.
A fund has been established
in my honor with HELP HOPE LIVE (formerly NTAF) to help with these medical
expenses. HELP HOPE LIVE is a non-profit organization that has been assisting
the transplant community for more than 28 years. All donations are
tax-deductible and are administered by HELP HOPE LIVE for transplant-related
expenses only. If you’d like to contribute:
Make checks payable to: HELP HOPE LIVE
Note in memo section: Nathanael
Daggett
Mail to: John Daggett, 126 Bishop Lamy Rd., Lamy, NM 87540
Thank you for taking the time
to read my story and consider my current needs.
Sincerely,
Nathanael Daggett (and Roxie)
Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by the law. This campaign is administered by HelpHOPELive,a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing fundraising assistance to transplant and catastrophic injury patients. Information: 800.642.8399.
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