Nathan “Nate” Larson was a familiar face for anyone who has shopped at the Albertville Coborn’s location, wrangling carts and grabbing bags of salt for anyone in need.
Now, it’s Nate who is need of help from his community.
Nate suffers from Tourette’s Syndrome, a neurological disorder that causes severe tics. Recently, according to his family, Nate was accepted at the University of Florida in Gainesville into a “Deep Brain Stimulation” study for those who suffer from this syndrome.
A Medtronic-made device will be surgically implanted into Nate’s brain, with a neurostimulator also placed in his chest, all to improve or alleviate the tics.
The opportunity – or study – also brings about large expenses for the Larson family. It’s a two-year commitment, and beyond the cost of the surgery and medical devices, the family would have to cover expenses including trips from Minneapolis to Florida on a regular basis, with check-ups each of the first six months, and then at the 12, 18 and 24-month mark after that. They’ll continue for the first six years of his life with the stimulator.
Nate Larson (44) participates in the Special Olympics basketball tournament at Rogers High last week. Nate has been accepted into a study at the University of Florida for a treatment that will help control his Tourette’s Syndrome.
The evaluations last three days each, so the Larson family will also need to find accommodations in Gainesville, along with a rental car.
Nate’s parents, Jay and Cherry, have created a GoFundMe site, in hopes to raise some of the money needed to cover the costs.
Since the campaign was created on Feb. 15, Nate has also had visits to the Mayo Clinic, due to a recent episode with Rhabdomyolysis. Nate is struggling with everyday movements, doctors said, because his brain is “rebooting” after the episode, and he’s learning how to function all over again.
Nate was on the verge of kidney failure, according to Jay, during the incident.
His recovery from the incident is going well, and Nate was able to play in (and score a 3-point basket) the Special Olympics basketball tournament last week.
If you want to help the Larson family, check out this dashboard, which allows you to donate directly to the GoFundMe site. More than 170 people have shared it to date, with about $5,000 raise for the Larson family, 20 percent of its overall goal.
Let’s rally STMA and get the Larson family over the top!