I would appreciate some of DU's good vibes or

[highplainsdem]

81. George's name popped up in another news story today, though this one was

mostly about the girlfriend of the son of his old friend and bandmate, Golden Earring drummer Cesar Zuiderwijk. Cesar's son Casper's partner of 8 years is Joy Renaud, a 34-year-old hospital dietitian who has had MS since her late teens, Cesar, former Golden Earring bassist Rinus Gerritsen (who's also George's brother-in-law), keyboardist Robert Jan Stips who was a member of the band for a short time in the 1970s, and several of their musician friends will be giving a concert to help raise money for an expensive treatment that gives Joy a good chance of remission.

https://www-denhaagcentraal-net.translate.goog/nieuws/zorg/cesar-zuiderwijk-organiseert-benefietconcert-joy-tegen-ms-in-musicon/?_x_tr_sl=nl&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc

Big names from the (inter)national rock world, such as Cesar Zuiderwijk, Rinus Gerritsen, Robert Jan Stips, The Clarks, Mario Goossens, Fabio Canini and Nicko Christiansen, act selflessly to finance her stem cell operation in Mexico.

“Super cool that all those musical champs come together in this unique line-up. All this to enable my stem cell transplant in Mexico next year. I love music and parties.” Joy Renaud's elated laugh will often be heard throughout the conversation. Cesar Zuiderwijk (74), father of Joy's partner Casper (38) and organizer of the concert: “We also want to raise awareness of MS to promote treatment options. George (Kooymans, affected by ALS) made it clear that most people know little about serious illnesses that turn your life upside down.”

Joy notes that MS and ALS show some similarities, but MS often has a slower course and symptoms that vary. In addition, life-enhancing – albeit costly – medication exists for MS. And MS is more widespread. “In the Netherlands, about fifteen hundred people have ALS, where one in a thousand people is affected by MS. A huge group. I started having symptoms when I was eighteen and was diagnosed with relapse remitting MS two years later. After that I was able to hide it for a long time, until the disease revealed itself more firmly. Nowadays I have to be very careful with my energy and I often have complaints such as tingling and headaches.”

-snip-

She resolutely focuses on the treatment. "I look forward. In terms of treatment of MS, Mexico is more advanced than the Netherlands. The health insurance does not reimburse the treatment – ​​from March 6, 2023 in a private clinic in Pueblo – and the associated trajectory of 75,000 euros. The treatment takes a month: my own stem cells are 'harvested' through an infusion, after which I undergo four rounds of chemotherapy. When I get my stem cells back, I experience a rebirth, as it were: I start with a new immune system. The chance that the MS will stop is eighty percent. A happy number.”

-snip-

The benefit concert is this Sunday in The Hague.

I just did some googling and found out they are starting to do stem cell treatments for ALS as well. George is 40 years older than Joy, and one scientific paper I glanced at mentioned an upper age of 65 in one trial, but I saw other articles saying there really is no upper age limit. But there might be other health factors that would make him less likely to try this.

And the cost is really daunting.

Despite being successful for several decades, Golden Earring's members never became as wealthy as some rock stars. And much of their income in recent years was from concerts, which ended in late 2019, with the concerts planned and sold out for early 2020 having to be canceled because of Covid, then the band finally retiring after George's diagnosis. I hope finances weren't a consideration in George not trying this treatment. I'm guessing age probably had more to do with it, if he ever considered it. Plus the stem cell treatment for ALS may simply slow the progression of the disease a bit, rather than reversing it at all.

I hope the treatment helps Joy Renaud get a much better quality of life, after 16 years of dealing with MS, since her teens. I know Cesar Zuiderwijk has stayed close to George, visiting him frequently, since that's been in the news, but I had no idea Cesar's son's girlfriend was battling MS for all the time they've been together. This has to have been difficult for Cesar, too, with two people so close to him this ill.