Former PIHS grad seeking stem cell treatment
A former native of Mapleton/Presque Isle and 1980 graduate of Presque Isle High School is hoping for a miracle, in the form of a relatively new procedure to restore his failing eyesight, but needs to raise over $20,000 to pay for the procedure.
“I’m legally blind now. I have a rare, inherited ‘juvenile’ form of macular degeneration. I was recently selected for a stem cell treatment clinical trial that could greatly restore the damage to my retinas,” said Doug (Bagley) Oliver, who now resides in Nashville with his wife, Ann.
He said about 10 years ago he was diagnosed with Malattia Leventinese, a rare form of macular degeneration, leading to blindness.
“At age 44, this began to have a major impact on my life and still does,” said Oliver.
He said ML kills retinal cells, leaving behind dozens of blind spots that prevent him from reading, working for long periods of time or safely crossing a street.
“I cannot run or maintain balance; I tend to fall easily,” he said.
For him, it’s not the loss of ability to take part in activities that bother him the most, it’s how it is impacting his family.
“The most difficult loss for me is not being able to see the faces of the people I love, especially my grandchildren, while they are growing up,” said Oliver.
He’d also like to keep up with his son’s cinematic success.
“Nate (Oliver) is back in Maine — South Portland — after co-writing and directing a $3 million feature film with Michael Madsen, Malcolm McDowell and Daniel Baldwin. He’s been asked to contribute to the Maine ‘Damnationland’ horror anthology. That’s a long way since ‘Zombies’. He’s been a ‘staff pick’ at Kickstarter, and been featured in ‘Fangoria’,” said Oliver. “He’s all about horror — don’t know where in the world he got that from!”
“Anyway, the ‘Damnationland’ flick is a short flick and is going to be shot in South Portland,” said Oliver.
He said because ML is so rare, it gets little attention or money for research.
“There have been no stem cell clinical trials within the U.S, willing to accept people with my diagnosis, until now,” said Oliver, referring to himself as “grampy of three.”
A couple weeks ago, Oliver received notification he was approved to participate in the SCOTS Clinical Trial, a U.S. full-treatment clinical trial that will use stem cells taken from his own bone marrow and insert them near the damaged areas of his eyes.
“This clinical trial, called the Stem Cell Ophthalmologic Treatment Study (SCOTS) is the first in the U.S. to offer full treatment of both eyes with stem cells from an adult’s own bone marrow. It is also the only one of any kind in the U.S. that has ever opened to treat diseases like ML. that would essentially identify me as the first U.S. participant with my disease to receive stem cell treatment for my disease,” said Oliver.
He said he’s never launched a fund-raising campaign on his own behalf before, but at the urging of many friends and family — who have also pledged to support this effort — he’s making an appeal for help through a gofundme.com account.
“I’m trying to raise $21,600 by the end of June. The campaign has raised over $3,200 as of Tuesday, but the clinical trial could end sooner than scheduled according to the director of the study, and my participation requires a one-year commitment,” Oliver said.
Oliver said he welcomes any support, be it monetary or shares of the fund-raising page through social media.
“I need lots more small donations, as well as crowd-funding exposure, social media shares, etc. My contacts are limited, so I appreciate any help I can get,” said Oliver.
To donate, visit www.gofundme.com/MyEyesNeedU. For more information, email Oliver at doug.oliver@comcast.net.
