Levant man’s Parkinson’s tremors gone after community-funded brain procedure

BANGOR, Maine (WABI) - Two weeks after undergoing an MRI-guided focused ultrasound procedure in Boston, a Levant man says his Parkinson’s-related tremors on the left side of his body are completely gone.

Tom Curran, who works as a patient transporter at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center, had his insurance deny coverage for the $30,000 FDA-approved procedure. Coworkers at the Bangor hospital immediately jumped in to help, creating a Go Fund Me page.

More than $20K had already been raised when WABI aired Tom’s story in June. After that, the fund surpassed the initial $30,000 goal which Tom says helps immensely with follow up visits and scans which are also not covered by his health insurance.

Curran traveled to Boston on July 14 for the treatment.

‘My hand’s not shaking’

Curran said he was awake throughout the procedure, during which he was secured in an MRI machine while ultrasound technology guided the treatment to a precise point in his brain.

“They basically bolted me into the MRI machine and then they use ultrasound from that to guide to where the point is that they need to hit to stop the tremors,” Curran said.

Laser beams targeted the right side of Curran’s brain, which was causing tremors on the left side of his body. He said the procedure functioned like an ablation on the brain at that specific location.

Procedure lasted about a half hour

The entire treatment lasted approximately 30 minutes. After an initial session, Curran said the shaking returned briefly when he gripped a water bottle. By the third session, the tremors on the left side of his body were gone.

“After that initial session, they rolled me out. I actually thought they were readjusting me because it was so quick. They had me put my hands up again and I was like, my hand’s not shaking. It was that quick,” Curran said.

“I didn’t know whether to laugh, just smile or cry or anything. I still can’t really wrap my head around how it worked,” he said.

Recovery and return to work

Curran said he still has some shaking in his right leg and a slight tremble in his right hand. He said he could return to Boston for a second procedure on that side of his body if needed.

Last week, Curran made his first trip out of the house since returning from Boston — a visit to his workplace that he planned to last one hour.

“I was there for like four hours,” Curran said.

Two weeks after the procedure, Curran said he still catches himself reaching for items with his right hand out of habit before remembering he can now use his left.

“I’ll go grab a drink with my right hand and then remind myself — no, you can grab it with your left hand now,” he said.

Curran said his gratitude toward donors runs deep and that he hopes his story encourages others with Parkinson’s to seek similar treatment. He also said he hopes it prompts the federal government to examine why certain insurance companies decline to cover the procedure.

“Oh, I love you all. It’s just incredible. I hope one day I can pay them back,” Curran said.