Our Story
Beginning in his early teenage years, Cole began experiencing bizarre and seemingly unrelated symptoms that intensified with each year that passed. He was plagued with severe joint pain, fatigue, digestive difficulties, trouble sleeping, problems with concentration, extreme forgetfulness, depression, heart palpitations, chest pains, sensations of electric shock, episodes of blindness, and more, but as the Chapman family sought the advice of Doctor after Doctor, they received the puzzling answer that there was nothing wrong with their son. Test results showed no abnormalities. Cole entered high school and rose to prominence as a star athlete in the town of Stuart, Oklahoma, where he was raised and where the Chapman family still resides. As a high-profile Basketball and Baseball player, he feared being ridiculed for calling attention to his symptoms when he had been told he was perfectly healthy. Though his symptoms grew more severe with each month that passed and interfered with every aspect of his life, he spoke little of them and pressed on in pursuit of athletic greatness. He graduated in 2011 as the most decorated male Basketball player in his school’s history and one of the best in the state of Oklahoma, but behind the scenes, Cole was waging a private war against a devastating series of illnesses that were destroying his body.
Learn How to Donate and Help Cole and the Chapman Family
Cole’s symptoms intensified as he entered college. His body began to fail him more and more each day, his joint pain became debilitating, and he had trouble moving at times due to severe balance issues and experienced small seizures. His heart palpitations and chest pains intensified, as did the episodes of blindness and digestive difficulties. He alerted doctors to these issues and was examined and again told there was absolutely nothing wrong with him other than inflammation, which he was told was from his years of playing sports. Cole continued to attend classes and work full time, but his mental capacity declined rapidly until he was struggling to remember co-workers’ names and how to get home from work. He forgot conversations almost as soon as he had them and eventually struggled to read and write.
Cole and his family continued to search for answers until they crossed paths with a Physician who recognized his symptoms and Cole was finally properly (but partially) diagnosed in 2013 with three active Lyme Disease infections, although later testing revealed was hosting five active and deadly Lyme Disease pathogens. However, standard Lyme Disease treatment did not cure him, and he continued to struggle. In late 2014, while being treated by the Centers for Disease Control and Infectious Disease Society of America’s recommended antibiotic treatment for Lyme Disease, he lost a shocking forty pounds in sixty days and his symptoms continued to intensify.
It was only in late 2015, after traveling to Nevada and then to California to seek answers, that a full diagnosis was finally obtained and the proximate cause of his ill health discovered. Cole possesses a very rare genetic defect that leaves his body unable to mount an immune response to mycotoxins, which are a product of mold. These toxic substances were unknowingly being excreted by mold (likely in extremely small amounts that do not affect a person with normal immune system function) in various locations where Cole had been attending school and playing sports for many years (locker rooms) and due to Cole’s genetic hypersensitivity to mycotoxins, the mycotoxins that had entered his body caused full-body inflammation, brain damage, immune system dysfunction, and a myriad of other ailments. This syndrome is classified under many names, including Black Mold Syndrome, Mycotoxicosis, and Mold Biotoxin Illness. When suffering from Mold Biotoxin Illness, Tick-borne infections like Lyme Disease are even more difficult to treat and the entire equation of bringing a patient back to full health becomes much more complex. The Chapman family and his friends were shocked to learn the severity of Cole’s various ailments.
Cole’s Current Status
After living in complete isolation for nearly three years from May of 2015 to April of 2018 at a primitive campground on the Chapman’s property to allow his immune system to recover and begin to again function properly, Cole moved out of isolation in April of 2018 and was able to integrate himself back into the general population. Cole’s living in isolation was required because of the hyperreactivity caused by mycotoxin exposure and chemical sensitivities/exposure that cause severe autoimmune reactions within Cole’s brain and nervous system, resulting in temporary brain damage where Cole was unable to read and write, as well as severely diminished cognitive abilities that are medically classified as being nearly identical to Alzheimer’s Disease. Another of Cole’s very serious diagnosed conditions is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which causes incredible physical pain and very frustrating and nearly constant exhaustion.
Unfortunately and despite all the progress Cole achieved while living in isolation at the campground, a devastating setback occurred in 2020 when Cole was diagnosed with American Trypanosoma Disease, which is now in addition to all other chronic illnesses (also known as Chagas Disease) which also causes a great deal of damage to the immune system and exacerbated all other ailments Cole had been fighting. As of early summer of 2022, Cole is back to living in isolation at the campground in order to allow his immune system to again recover and protect him from the autoimmune attacks triggered by exposure to mycotoxins and various chemicals contained in everyday household items, such as standard dish soap, laundry detergent, dryer sheets, cleaning supplies, etc. The Chapmans supply Cole with chemical-free plant-based products for his everyday use in order to minimize chemical hypersensitivities and the resulting crippling autoimmune reactions he has experienced in the past.
The goal of this fundraising campaign is to continue to raise funds for the now 29-year-old Cole and the Chapman family to offset their massive monthly medical expenses and also to raise enough money for Cole and his mother Sara to travel to Reno NV for an extended period of time to receive specialized medical treatments specific to his ailments from Cole’s primary Physician, who has a comprehensive medical plan in place that will be implemented to address Cole’s myriad of ailments once all funding goals are reached. Your contributions to this health fund will allow Cole to continue all current medical protocols and treatments while living in isolation and will help the Chapman family offset the astronomical financial burden of his highly specialized medical treatments, continued medical testing, Doctor’s appointments, supplements/medications, and travel expenses as Cole continues the lengthy and tedious health recovery. Any amount contributed, large or small will greatly assist the Chapman family and is humbly appreciated.
Cole’s Current Status
After living in complete isolation for nearly three years to allow his immune system to recover and begin to function properly again, Cole moved out of isolation in April of 2018 and was able to integrate himself back into the general population. However, a devastating setback occurred in 2020 when Cole was diagnosed with American Trypanosoma Disease, which is
now in addition to all other chronic illnesses known as Chagas Disease. The ATD is currently being treated with extremely high doses of Liposomal Vitamin C, intravenous Vitamin C treatments, UV Blood Irradiation treatments, very high doses of Resveratrol, and other highly specialized medical treatments.
The goal of this fundraising campaign is to continue to raise funds for a now 29-year-old Cole and the Chapman family to offset the massive monthly medical expenses and also to raise enough money for Cole and Sara to travel to Reno NV for an extended period of time to receive highly specialized medical treatments from Cole’s primary physician, Dr. Michael Gerber, who has a comprehensive medical plan in place that he is ready to implement to address Cole’s myriad of ailments once all funding goals are reached. Your contributions to this health fund will allow Cole to continue treatment and will help the Chapman family handle the astronomical financial burden of his highly specialized medical treatments, continued medical testing, and Doctor’s appointments, medications, and travel expenses as Cole continues the lengthy and tedious recovery. Any amount contributed, large or small, will greatly assist the Chapman family and is humbly appreciated.