Mario Benedet Machado wants to undergo the procedure in the USA to prevent the progression of the disease
Mario Benedet Machado was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at age 18. The generic disease degenerates the muscles of the body progressively. The bearer gradually loses body musculature, usually starting with the legs, and the aggravation can reach the muscle tissues of the lung and heart, a stage that causes complications, and may even lead to death.
At the age of 31, Mario continues to struggle with dystrophy. Still in his teens, the falls he suffered indicated the symptom of the disease that was diagnosed in a biopsy in 2009. Soon crutches came to be able to move around and, as time went on, a wheelchair.
“Currently he is always in bed, going out to doctor appointments and sometimes to hang out with some friends. Our mother left her trade job to be his daily helper. He needs help getting in and out of the wheelchair. In addition to not being able to walk, he can no longer lift his arms, he needs help to apply deodorant, wash his hair, shower, go to the bathroom, eat, among other daily activities”, he says. Maria Fernanda Benedet Machado.
The disease has no treatment in Brazil. For this reason, the family launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise R$ 180,000. It’s the cost for Mario to perform a procedure in the United States. The main objective is to slow down or prevent the progression of the disease.
“In Mário’s case, the treatment will reduce the progression of the disease. Depending on the response to the treatment, he may have the return of some functions that he lost due to the disease. Chances of walking again? There is, but it all depends on how Mario’s body will react”, adds his sister.
Maria Fernanda explains that the treatment consists of equipment that induces the production of heat shock proteins. These proteins, among many functions, have the function of “cleaning” malformations of other proteins that result in diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and muscular dystrophy.
“This treatment is carried out by the Brazilian doctor Marc Abreu, who became very well known in Brazil after a report. In this report, reporter André Tal (with Parkinson’s) went to try this new method of treating degenerative diseases. After performing the procedure, he felt differences he had never felt before”, comments Mario’s sister.
Anyone who wants to contribute to the crowdfunding can make donations clicking here or making a cash transfer to PIX 098.324.339-59 (CPF, Maria Fernanda Benedet Machado). On the Instagram profile, on the @vaquinhadomaroka, donors can also follow information about the crowdfunding and Mario’s treatment, in addition to contributing to the dissemination.
