, at the age canada goose uk black friday of 70

Her life with multiple sclerosis

buy canada goose jacket Annette Funicello, long time Disney and Beach Party star, passed away on Monday April 8 at Mercy Southwest Hospital in Bakersfield, canada goose store Calif., at the age canada goose uk black friday of 70. buy canada goose jacket

canadian goose jacket When Annette Funicello debuted on a new children’s variety TV show called the Mickey Mouse Club, she was a shy 12 year old girl an unknown with big brown eyes and a sweet smile. canadian goose jacket

But the Mickey Mouse Club quickly became a television megahit and the girl known simply as “Annette” became the most popular “Mouseketeer” on the show, attracting fans canada goose all around the world. She developed into a uk canada goose stunning young woman, starring in several iconic, beach movies with teen heartthrob Frankie Avalon.

canada goose coats But in 1992 at age 50, Annette went public with devastating news she had multiple sclerosis, a debilitating neurological disorder. She had the most severe form of the disease and over the years lost her ability to walk, relying first on a cane, then on a wheelchair. The singer and cheap Canada Goose actress eventually lost her uk canada goose outlet ability to talk and Annette faded from public view. canada goose coats

Many fans still wonder what happened to the beloved Hollywood star.

Now in a world exclusive Annette is back in the public eye. Glen Holt, her husband, invited W5 into their home to show Canada Goose sale the devastating effects of chronic progressive multiple sclerosis and to talk about a new controversial treatment which he says has helped his wife.

Canada Goose Outlet “When she got diagnosed I told her, ‘I will take care of you and Ill do everything I can,'” says Glen who is now 81 years old and her primary caregiver.

Annette receives around the clock care. She is fed through a tube and must be carried from her Canada Goose Outlet bed to her wheelchair.

cheap Canada Goose Her long term friend Shelley Fabares says seeing Annette today will be shocking to some but necessary to truly understand the effects of her illness. cheap Canada Goose

Canada Goose Parka “There are canada goose uk shop some people cheap canada goose uk who will think she must be preserved in people’s minds exactly as she was. But exactly who she was is not who she is now,” she explains. “In order to get people to understand the ravages of this disease and what happensthere is no better way.” Canada Goose Parka

canada goose coats on sale Despite her condition Glen never gave up hope that Annette would improve one day. canada goose coats on sale

canada goose clearance So when he received a fan letter from an MS patient about a novel and highly controversial treatment he vowed to learn more. canada goose clearance

https://www.getcanadagooseoutlet.ca canada goose clearance sale He researched a condition called Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency or CCSVI. The disorder was discovered by Italian vascular surgeon Dr. Paulo Zamboni, who believes MS patients have narrowed or blocked jugular and azygous veins canadian goose jacket that prevent blood from draining from their brains and spinal cords. His theory suggests the blood flows back into the brain, triggering an immune response which eventually leads to the damage seen in MS. canada goose clearance sale

Dr. Zambonis treatment involves opening up the blocked veins with a balloon to improve Canada Goose Jackets drainage. In a published study his MS patients reported a reduction in MS symptoms after receiving the therapy. It was dubbed the Liberation Treatment.

buy canada goose jacket cheap But Zamboni’s theory contradicts conventional belief that MS is an autoimmune disease triggered by a defective immune system. Neurologists criticized Zamboni’s results saying they were unscientific and his study was too small and hard to replicate. buy canada goose jacket cheap

Canada Goose online When other researchers conducted their own studies on CCSVI, the results were inconclusive. Some show no link between CCSVI and MS at all, or found the blocked veins in healthy people. Yet other research suggest the therapy reduces MS symptoms and improves quality of life. The medical debate soon erupted into a war, pitting patients against doctors and physicians against each other. Canada Goose online

Canada Goose sale He spent 25 years trying other experimental treatments a surgery to implant electrodes in her brain to control her tremors, even an experimental drug that sent Annette into ICU for eight days. But nothing helped. Canada Goose sale

Glen figured if CCSVI could make one small bit of difference it buy canada goose jacket cheap was worth a shot. He ran the idea by Annette’s long time doctor Jeffrey Salberg.

“I told him it was something I had not heard of,” he says. “And exploring more information from people canada goose black friday sale who were actually doing the procedure, finding out their academic and their reputations, I started having a little bit more confidence in the idea that it might be worth trying.”

canada goose Glen then took Annette Canada Goose online to Dr. Donald Ponec, an interventional radiologist at Tri City Hospital in Oceanside, Calif., who had some experience with the new therapy. canada goose

Canada Goose Jackets Dr. Ponec conducted a study published in August in the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology that followed 259 patients with MS. The researchers used balloons to open up their narrowed veins. After six months, 53.6 per cent of the patients reported improvements in MS symptoms. Canada Goose Jackets

canada goose deals In September 2011 at a private clinic, Dr. Ponec tested Annette and found her results fit the new theory. She had a blocked right jugular vein with only 30 per cent blood flow. Her left vein was completely blocked. The blood was flowing back into her brain. canada goose deals

canada goose store There was no proof that the treatment would even improve her condition but Glen asked doctors to try. canada goose store

He was in the procedure room with Annette’s nurses and says he saw improvements right away when doctors opened up blockages with a balloon and used a stent for a vein.

Canada Goose Outlet “When they started the procedure buy canada goose jacket she looked more alive. She was brighter than she was canada goose clearance before.” Canada Goose Outlet

“I saw in front of my eyes things changed the glow of her face came in,” he says.

canada goose black friday sale But Glen says there was another noticeable improvement. Patients with MS often have problems swallowing because of damage to parts of their brain, causing canada goose factory sale them to sometimes choke on their Canada Goose Coats On Sale own saliva. canada goose black friday sale

Before the treatment Glen canada goose clearance sale says he would be awake several hours through the night to suction saliva from Annette’s mouth so she would not suffocate. Now she can get through the night without his help.