Community fundraiser
What: Raise money for deputy Steve Brooks’ transplant
When: 7-9 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 7
Where: Next Door Gastropub, 113 W. First St.
More info: Visit www.gofundme.com/bd6jkc
As the new year approaches, one man is preparing for a potentially lifesaving medical procedure.
Steve Brooks, Clallam County Sheriff’s Office deputy, peninsula native, husband and father of three, was diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome — a rare acquired neurological disorder characterized by progressive muscle stiffness and repeated episodes of painful muscle spasms, according to the National Organization of Rare Disorders.
It’s estimated only one in a million people have Stiff Person Syndrome that, if untreated, can progress to cause difficulty walking and impact a person’s ability to perform routine, daily tasks.
“He’s in spasm all the time,” Brooks’s wife Valerie, said. “It’s just that some of them are stronger than others so — they haven’t progressed to the point that they’ve broken his bones yet.”
With few treatments and no known cure for Stiff Person Syndrome, Brooks is pursuing a clinical trial stem cell transplant procedure that could save his life.
“I mean, he’s scared,” Valerie said. “The transplant team made it very clear that it’ll be the worst horrific thing that he’s ever experienced in his life.”
Although Brooks is a “little nervous” about the procedure, she said, he’s most “terrified of not being able to provide for his family.”
Despite the increasing pain associated with Stiff Person Syndrome, Brooks continues to work and oversees the county chain gang.
“There are many days when he comes home that I have to help him take his uniform off because he’s too stiff to do it on his own,” Valerie said.
Community support
To help with the cost of the procedure, estimated to be $450,000, Brooks’s colleague Don Wenzl created a gofundme account. Within the first week that “Steve’s Life Saving Transplant Fund” account went live, 132 friends, including family, co-workers and community members raised more than $18,000 toward the $50,000 goal.
Insurance will cover about 70 percent of the cost, Valerie said, but to undergo the stem cell transplant at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, $10,000 was needed upfront for rent in special, sterile housing.
Additional funding will help with the 30 percent not covered by insurance, cost of parking, transportation and meals. Also, Valerie plans to act as Brooks’s 24/7 caregiver, thus neither will be able to work for a lengthy period of time.
“I know it’s a high-risk procedure,” Wenzl said. “He’s going to have to live near the hospital for four months, but Steve, being the ever optimist, thinks he’s going to be back at work by summer.”
Beyond Brooks’s optimistic outlook, “he’ll do just about anything for you at the drop of a hat,” Wenzl said.
“He’s all around just a great guy,” he said.
Wenzl has worked with Brooks since Brooks first joined the Sheriff’s Office 15 years ago. During that time and reflective of his personality and overall dedication to serving the public, Brooks has received numerous awards including a Lifesaving Medal.
Prior to working for the county, Brooks spent nine years with the Washington State Department of Corrections and before that seven years in the U.S. Army.
Just days after the gofundme was launched, Brooks wrote, “It has been very difficult for me to wrap my head around this whole situation.”
“I know many people that have donated don’t have the extra funds, especially this time of year, but still donated anyway,” he wrote. “There are no words that come to mind to express my deepest thanks for supporting me and my family during this difficult time.”
Donations can be made to the “Steve Brooks Transplant Fund” at the Strait View Credit Union, 220 S. Lincoln St., Port Angeles or at www.gofundme.com/bd6jkc.
