Marc Serchia, 56, is waiting on a miracle, and if the doctors are correct he doesn’t have much more time. At the age of 39, Marc suffered a massive heart attack, faced a 5-hour surgery to repair blocked arteries, and died on the surgical table six separate times. Unbelievably, he survived, but with a severely damaged heart. Doctors wouldn’t put him near the top of the heart transplant list because they didn’t think he’d live to find a match. Defying the odds, Marc has lived 17 years by eating healthy, making daily changes, and his sheer will to survive.
The damage to his heart is extensive. A normal, healthy heart has an ejection fraction — how much the heart compresses to circulate oxygenated blood to the body — between 50-70%. In September 2013, Marc’s ejection fraction was 13%, and doctors were — and still are — amazed he is still standing.
After applying to the Cell Surgical Network (CSN), he was accepted into the program, with one large roadblock in the way — insurance does not cover stem cell therapy as it is seen as experimental, and Marc is unable to work per his doctors’ orders. Marc’s daughters rallied his friends, neighbors, even strangers, and after raising $7,000 of the $35,000 needed for treatment, Marc received a stem cell therapy treatment at the Silicon Valley Stem Cell Treatment Center in January 2014. The process entails doctors harvesting Marc’s own stem cells from his body fat, which are then spun in a centrifuge where the stem cells are separated, then mixed in a saline IV drip, and returned to Marc. After three months, his ejection fraction rose to 16-18%. Doctors say Marc can have stem cell therapies every 3-4 months, but he has been unable to have another due to lack of funding.
Ideally, Marc would like to have his next treatment at the Stem Cell Rejuvenation Center in Phoenix, Ariz. Doctors take more of his fat cells during a single treatment, thus returning even more stem cells to Marc’s body.
Marc’s goal is to not only see his grandchildren grow up, but to help doctors in their research of stem cell therapy. With high-profile athletes like NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and MLB pitcher Bartolo Colon completing stem cell therapies, Marc hopes to join them in spreading the message of stem cell therapy and proving its benefits so patients can demand insurance companies cover the procedures. Marc may not be a famous sports hero with the salary to match, but he is a hero to his family.
This release was previously published on the Mountain Democrat.
Fundraisers are ongoing at the following links:
www.youcaring.com/marcserchia
www.help-marc.com
Important information on stem cell treatments and therapies can be found at:
International Cellular Medicine Society — www.cellmedicinesociety.org
Silicon Valley Stem Cell Treatment Center — www.svstemcell.com
Patients for Stem Cells — www.patientsforstemcells.org
Stem Cell Rejuvenation Center — www.the-stem-cell-center.com
Contact:
Donna Palen/Marc Serchia
928.458.0616/530.647.6386
Email
SOURCE Marc Serchia