Lower Bucks Co. Man Battles Rare Tissue Disease

WARMINSTER, PA —Jason Cotton will probably never work again.

At this stage, his family said that the township man is lucky to be alive.

Last summer, the 42-year-old Cotton started experiencing some pain in his arms and hands which he attributed to arthritis due to being a painter.

The pain then worsened.

Cotton's arms started getting very stiff and he was having trouble bending his fingers. He began to rapidly lose weight and experienced constant joint pain.

A doctor's visit in September led to a battery of tests and a diagnosis: Rheumatoid Arthritis and Scleroderma, a very rare disease that affects less than 200,000 people in the nation annually.

Scleroderma is a disease in the connective tissues that attacks not only the skin but also the internal organs. There is no cure.

Cotton's health deteriorated even further. And now with medical bills mounting, his friends and family have launched a GoFundMe page organized by Noelle Nichols seeking donations to help pay expenses. The page has raised nearly $10,000 of its $50,000 goal.

"Jason would give the shirt off his back to anyone. He’s been the most wonderful father figure to Laura’s three kids and he’s an amazing father to his own two kids. He’s the most loyal and supportive friend I’ve ever had next to Laura," Nichols said. "Jason is not the kind of person that will ask for help or complain about anything. At the hospital, as he was being rushed in for the angiogram and in agonizing pain, he saw me worrying in the hallway and smiled and said, 'Hey Nu Nu, thanks for coming.'”

Since November, Cotton was diagnosed with interstitial lung disease and pulmonary hypertension as a result of the Scleroderma. His team of doctors has been working with him to find a medication regime that will alleviate some of the constant pain he is in.

On Feb. 18, Cotton told his partner Laura that he was feeling worse than normal.

He was experiencing heart palpitations and incessant fatigue. He was rushed to Doylestown Hospital. The doctors there tried to help, but his high blood pressure was triggering symptoms of heart failure and irregular kidney function.

He was transported to Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia on Tuesday night as soon as a bed became available.

A day or two after being admitted, his pressure was so high that his retina began to detach. After several days, the doctors were able to get his pressure normalized but were unable to stabilize his kidney function.

The Scleroderma is now attacking his kidneys. They did a biopsy this past Monday so they could determine what was going on, said Noelle and Gracyn Nichols.

Doctors then found that the kidney had begun to bleed at the location of the biopsy and blood was pooling in his abdomen. They did multiple blood transfusions and then rushed him to the ICU to do an angiogram to see the kidney.

The family provided an update as of Monday that Cotton will be taken off oxygen machines.

"Jason’s partner, Laura, is the most positive and uplifting person I’ve ever met. She’s my sun. But she is working three jobs to make ends meet and make sure Jason and their five combined kids have everything they need," Nichols said. "She is struggling financially, emotionally, and mentally. Her spirit is breaking because the love of her life is suffering."

Nichols said that Laura has had to take off work to drive almost an hour both ways to Temple multiple times to be with Cotton and has lost desperately needed pay as a result. When Jason does come home, he has a very long road ahead of him which will ultimately require home renovations to allow him to be comfortable and move around.

"Jason and Laura have been there for me through the hardest times of my life. They never acted as if it was a hardship or made me feel bad about it. They just saw I needed them and they were there. I know for a fact that they have done similar things for many of us. Now it’s time for us to show them how much they mean to us and that they’re not alone. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your generosity! Every penny helps," Nichols said.