Baltimore Man Raising Money For Possible Live-Saving Treatment
BALTIMORE, Md. (WJZ)--A Baltimore man is relieved that people all over America reached out to help save his life, Jessica Kartalija reports.
Yianni Liadakis has a form of multiple sclerosis that will within three years put him in a wheelchair.
A college friend and co-worker helped him set up a fundraising page to raise the money needed to get him to a hospital in Israel offering treatment not yet approved in the U.S.
Some $117,000 was raised in just five days.
"People were like, 'I saw you a year ago, you look fine. I'm really sorry to hear what you're going through.' So, people were very eager to share the story and to contribute toward the treatment. So I am very fortunate," said Liadakis.
Seventy-five percent of his donations came from family and friends, but his co-workers and Baltimore's Greek community kicked in the rest.
Yianni will begin treatment in mid-March; his stem cell treatment will take six weeks to complete.