BRICK, NJ — Brick residents who volunteered at community cleanup events in town undoubtedly encountered Keith Rella at some point.
Rella, 48, a public information officer with Brick Township, is the organizer of the Pick Up Brick community cleanups that started in 2021. He is involved with the township’s Sustainable Brick efforts and has been involved with various environmental organizations over the years.
Rella and his wife, Ann Marie, live in Middletown with their son and daughter, where he is a basketball coach and soccer coach, and is an avid singer-songwriter and guitarist.
“To his friends, he is a brother and someone who consistently brings joy, who generously gives of himself without hesitation and who is always willing to lend a hand,” Sean Clark, a close friend of Rella, wrote about him.
In April, Rella’s life turned upside down, Clark said.
Out of the blue he began to experience weakness in his arms and within weeks, he was bedridden, unable to move his arms and legs and requiring a feeding tube and support to breathe, Clark said.
The diagnosis: a rare form of Guillain-Barre Syndrome, Clark wrote.
Guillain-Barre syndrome is an autoimmune illness where the body’s immune system attacks the nerves. It can cause weakness, numbness or paralysis, according to the Mayo Clinic.
“In its most serious form, Guillain-Barre syndrome is a medical emergency,” the Mayo Clinic webpage says. The exact cause is not known but in two-thirds of cases of people had symptoms of an infection in the six weeks before Guillain-Barre symptoms begin. There is no known cure, but most people recover completely. Recovery may take up to several years but most people are able to walk again six months after symptoms first began.
Clark shared Rella’s situation on a GoFundMe campaign he created iwith a group of friends to help the family with the financial stress caused by Rella’s hospitalization. Originally posted in mid-July, the campaign has raised more than $50,000, but due to the extent of his illness, they have increased the goal to $75,000. The campaign is also organized by Friends Helping Friends of NJ, a nonprofit that helps raise funds for families in time of need.
Clark on Monday said Rella’s condition “has not changed that much. He still suffers from acute paralysis from the neck down and requires mechanical breathing assistance.”
He has begun treatment on an experimental drug, Rituximab, that has shown some promising results in patients suffering from Rella’s rare form of Guillain-Barre syndrome and has been moved to an acute-care facility to recover, Clark said. Rella will receive more treatments with the drug over the next month or so, alternating between the hospital and acute-care facility.
“It will be some time before we know the efficacy of this treatment,” Clark said.
The goal of the GoFundMe “is to find a way to have Keith come home,” he said. That will mean making modifications to the Rellas’ home to accommodate his condition. There also are substantial out-of-pocket expenses not covered by insurance.
“Despite the uncertainty of his condition, Keith has shown incredible strength, courage, composure and even his amazing sense of humor,” Clark wrote. “Never once has he asked, ‘Why me?’ When treatments failed, he thanked his doctors and whispered love to his friends. He wants everyone to know how Ann Marie has been a rock throughout this ordeal, trying to maintain normalcy for the kids through their school and outside activities.”
In addition to Clark, friends supporting the Rellas in the GoFundMe include: Mike Zurawski, Dave Najdzinowicz, Ryan Byrnes, Sam Giordano, Mike Calavano, Cass Hartelius, Chris Beck, Carl Zavattieri, Ron Angelo, Mike Byrnes, and Leon Mowadia.
Those wishing to donate to the GoFundMe for Rella can do so here.
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