Appeal for stem cell treatment for Garry Parker's daughter

[davieG]

'I would be very grateful if you can help me raise funds towards stem cell treatment'

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/appeal-stem-cell-treatment-leicester-3296276

ByAdrian Troughton
10:43, 8 SEP 2019UPDATED11:09, 8 SEP 2019

The daughter of former Leicester City midfield star Garry Parker is trying to raise funds for potentially life-changing medical care.

Carmen Parker needs to raise money to finance stem cell treatment in South America.

Carmen, 22,  suffers with cerebral palsy but has been accepted for potentially life-changing medical care.

Ms Parker has revealed in an online appeal that she was born premature at 23 weeks and weighed just 1lb 6oz and has overcome many hurdles in her life.

On the gofundme site she says: "Hello everyone!"My name is Carmen and I am 22 years old.

"I have cerebral palsy. 

"I would be very grateful if you can help me raise funds towards stem cell treatment, which I’ve been approved for in Panama, South America.

"I have overcome many hurdles in my life so far, after being born extremely premature, at just 23 weeks gestation, weighing only 1lb 6ozs (625g). 

"However, there are still daily challenges for me, some of which include, difficulties in eating and swallowing, drooling, reflux, speech, body strength, muscle tone and balance, anxieties and learning difficulties. 

"So to have this opportunity to improve my quality of life means everything to me. 

"Any help or support is very much appreciated.

"Thank you from the bottom of my heart

"Carmen Parker xxxxx".

Emile Heskey at Goals in Leicester
The appeal has been shared by many people online, including England and Foxes striker Emile Heskey.

He wrote on Twitter: "My former teammate Garry Parker's daughter needs stem cell treatment. 

"If you're able, please share and #retweet her #Gofundme page".

 

My former teammate Garry Parker's daughter needs stem cell treatment. If you're able, please share and #retweet her #Gofundme pagehttps://bit.ly/2ZhPkEp

Garry played 114 games and scored 10 goals for Leicester City between 1995 and 2001.

He joined former Leicester City teammate Neil Lennon at Celtic in July 2010 as first team coach.

They also worked together at Bolton Wanderers and Hibernian.

On August 29 this year he joined Oxford United as a performance analyst.

Carmen has raised £7,228 towards a target of £12,000.

To donate to the fund go to: https://bit.ly/2ZhPkEp

[LinekersLugs]

Call me cynical but 12k ?

 

Her old man hasn’t 12k lying around, seems very strange ??? 

 

I Paid 30k for my nephew to have proton beam treatment in Germany to save his life , remortgaged my house and never asked anyone for help 

 

can’t believe a former professional footballer hasn’t got £12k or can’t get it 

[Finnegan]

He works for Oxford United as an analyst. I doubt he's rolling in the Benjamins tbf. 

[Manwell Pablo]

1 hour ago, Finnegan said:

He works for Oxford United as an analyst. I doubt he's rolling in the Benjamins tbf. 

 

18 years in pro football with Emile  involved though, 12k?

 

Hope she gets the treatment she needs through whatever means though obviously.

[shade]

44 minutes ago, Manwell Pablo said:

 

18 years in pro football with Emile  involved though, 12k?

 

Hope she gets the treatment she needs through whatever means though obviously.

oooh controversial (although i thought exactly the same thing)

[volpeazzurro]

7 hours ago, shade said:

oooh controversial (although i thought exactly the same thing)

Exactly if the reports are accurate. Whilst it's difficult to know people's personal financial situation this is no more than a car loan if it's only 12k. Ultimately I just hope the poor girl gains some success in her treatment. 

[Stevosevic]

Obviously hope she gets better but where on earth has his money gone?

[Finnaldo]

To be fair, we don’t know if he has already put good money into this, and this is the last round of payments he can’t meet.

 

Either way, let’s hope she gets the required amount and the treatment.

[everton carr]

39 minutes ago, Finnaldo said:

To be fair, we don’t know if he has already put good money into this, and this is the last round of payments he can’t meet.

 

Either way, let’s hope she gets the required amount and the treatment.

Maybe seems strange otherwise would have thought he had a good few years at top level Football on maybe 10k a week

[moore_94]

A person had stem cell treatment for a form of arthritis in Panama and ended up paying $22,000 (up to approximately $30,000 with travel and living expenses) and that would be one of the less expensive procedures

 

For a condition like Multiple Sclerosis it can cost between £35,000-£85,000, Cerebral Palsy would probably be in the higher end of this bracket.

 

https://bioinformant.com/cost-of-stem-cell-therapy/#condition

 

Also remember Garry Parker hasn’t played professionally 20 years, then working as a coach at clubs where he wouldn’t be earning that much more than your normal upper management 9-5 job (Celtic, Bolton, Hibernian) especially now where he is an analyst at Oxford United

 

The average weekly wage in the top division was around £3k a week in the mid 90s, it was only £1500 a week at the start of the 90s, he wasn’t earning a ridiculous amount.

 

Then you also need to take into account all the costs he could have had during his life looking after a disabled child, specialist equipment, adaptations to the house etc.

 

It is very easy to see where all his money could have gone and why he made need help, especially if he also went the footballers lifestyle route of big house, fancy cars, expensive holidays during his career

[everton carr]

34 minutes ago, moore_94 said:

A person had stem cell treatment for a form of arthritis in Panama and ended up paying $22,000 (up to approximately $30,000 with travel and living expenses) and that would be one of the less expensive procedures

 

For a condition like Multiple Sclerosis it can cost between £35,000-£85,000, Cerebral Palsy would probably be in the higher end of this bracket.

 

https://bioinformant.com/cost-of-stem-cell-therapy/#condition

 

Also remember Garry Parker hasn’t played professionally 20 years, then working as a coach at clubs where he wouldn’t be earning that much more than your normal upper management 9-5 job (Celtic, Bolton, Hibernian) especially now where he is an analyst at Oxford United

 

The average weekly wage in the top division was around £3k a week in the mid 90s, factor that into a footballers lifestyle it isn’t hard to see why he may not exactly be awash with money.

Would have thought it would be way more then that Jason Trinder was on £800 a week when he signed for Mansfield Town from Oadby Town in 1995 that was in the old Div 3

[moore_94]

6 minutes ago, everton carr said:

Would have thought it would be way more then that Jason Trinder was on £800 a week when he signed for Mansfield Town from Oadby Town in 1995 that was in the old Div 3

First £10k a week footballer was Chris Sutton in 1994, but unless you were at a top team you would be lucky to get half that

[Manwell Pablo]

2 hours ago, moore_94 said:

First £10k a week footballer was Chris Sutton in 1994, but unless you were at a top team you would be lucky to get half that

 

Gary Parker retired in 2001 though.

 

Although I guess you are right it could be part of a longer ongoing process which has already cost him a packet.

[Leeds Fox]

17 hours ago, Manwell Pablo said:

 

18 years in pro football with Emile  involved though, 12k?

 

Hope she gets the treatment she needs through whatever means though obviously.

 

What am I missing here?

[Manwell Pablo]

1 minute ago, Leeds Fox said:

 

What am I missing here?

 

I've no idea to quite honest, perhaps could explain what part doesn't make sense to you. 

[moore_94]

42 minutes ago, Manwell Pablo said:

 

Gary Parker retired in 2001 though.

 

Although I guess you are right it could be part of a longer ongoing process which has already cost him a packet.

Roy Keane became highest paid player in 2000 on £50k a week, however at that time the average annual wage in the First Division was £400k (about £10k a week) so he probably would have only got that for 2 maybe 3 seasons prior

 

If he did what most footballers tend to do when they have start having kids and start buying bigger fancy houses etc then it is easy to see where his money probably went, and as his daughter is 22 she would have been born around 1995 and I imagine a young baby with Cerebral Palsy would require a fair bit of monetary outlay around the time he was playing for us

[Leeds Fox]

1 hour ago, Manwell Pablo said:

 

I've no idea to quite honest, perhaps could explain what part doesn't make sense to you. 

 

The reference to Emile 

[Manwell Pablo]

8 minutes ago, Leeds Fox said:

 

The reference to Emile 

 

Because I'm sure, in fact I know for a fact, he is more than affluent enough to throw Gary Parker a few quid himself instead 

[Trav Le Bleu]

8 hours ago, moore_94 said:

Roy Keane became highest paid player in 2000 on £50k a week, however at that time the average annual wage in the First Division was £400k (about £10k a week) so he probably would have only got that for 2 maybe 3 seasons prior

 

If he did what most footballers tend to do when they have start having kids and start buying bigger fancy houses etc then it is easy to see where his money probably went, and as his daughter is 22 she would have been born around 1995 and I imagine a young baby with Cerebral Palsy would require a fair bit of monetary outlay around the time he was playing for us

I'm guessing 1997, just a hunch.

 

Which incidentally, means he only had 4 years on higher wages (though in the twilight of his career - his last senior game for us was Jan 1999), so maybe not a lot to put away for his daughter's future and as you say, that could well have been very expensive.

 

Having said that, his team mates a grand each?

[Leeds Fox]

49 minutes ago, Manwell Pablo said:

 

Because I'm sure, in fact I know for a fact, he is more than affluent enough to throw Gary Parker a few quid himself instead 

 

Right, got ya. I thought you were suggesting something else (not sure quite what that was though). 

[Lambert09]

Not questioning Gary at all, if he could afford it im sure he would do it.  But surely a whip round from ex team mates is more appropriate than the average fan. Get it in the whatsapp group Emile

[urban fox]

Lots of assumptions here. Maybe the young lady wants to do this independently of the "bank of mum and dad" .

 

I imagine that (another assumption of course) that having had a lifetime of illness her own earning potential is not that great. Sometimes people just want to do things for themselves rather than being reliant on family and friends just from a point of view of self esteem.

 

Whatever the situation I sincerely hope she gets her treatment and the hoped for improvements in her quality of life.

[Leeds Fox]

29 minutes ago, urban fox said:

Lots of assumptions here. Maybe the young lady wants to do this independently of the "bank of mum and dad" .

 

I imagine that (another assumption of course) that having had a lifetime of illness her own earning potential is not that great. Sometimes people just want to do things for themselves rather than being reliant on family and friends just from a point of view of self esteem.

 

Whatever the situation I sincerely hope she gets her treatment and the hoped for improvements in her quality of life.

 

I really do hope she gets the treatment needed, but to say it’s ‘doing it by herself’ while asking for donations is slightly contradictory. 

 

None of us are likely to know the situation and I do feel for the girl. It can’t be nice needed treatment for an illness let alone having to ask for donations for it. 

[Trav Le Bleu]

33 minutes ago, urban fox said:

Lots of assumptions here. Maybe the young lady wants to do this independently of the "bank of mum and dad" .

 

I imagine that (another assumption of course) that having had a lifetime of illness her own earning potential is not that great. Sometimes people just want to do things for themselves rather than being reliant on family and friends just from a point of view of self esteem.

 

Whatever the situation I sincerely hope she gets her treatment and the hoped for improvements in her quality of life.

I thought this, but then I also thought that depending on complete strangers isn't really all that different.

It's just a shame that, in a world where we can blow billions merely trying to work out if a railway might work, we can't afford treatment like this for the disadvantaged.

[Leeds Fox]

29 minutes ago, urban fox said:

Lots of assumptions here. Maybe the young lady wants to do this independently of the "bank of mum and dad" .

 

I imagine that (another assumption of course) that having had a lifetime of illness her own earning potential is not that great. Sometimes people just want to do things for themselves rather than being reliant on family and friends just from a point of view of self esteem.

 

Whatever the situation I sincerely hope she gets her treatment and the hoped for improvements in her quality of life.

 

I really do hope she gets the treatment needed, but to say it’s ‘doing it by herself’ while asking for donations is slightly contradictory. 

 

None of us are likely to know the situation and I do feel for the girl. It can’t be nice needed treatment for an illness let alone having to ask for donations for it.