ELK GROVE, Calif. — An Elk Grove man's life changed after he says he was hit by a distracted driver.
Joshua Noel suffers from severe spine pain that doesn't allow him to sit or stand for long periods of time.
"The stem cell therapy is my only hope to hopefully be in less pain and, hopefully, it can regenerate some of the damage," said Noel.
Noel is selling his collection of autographed sports and music memorabilia in hopes of paying for the stem cell treatment.
"It's definitely a nail in the coffin to my pride, but I know that sometimes you have to suck it up and ask for help," Noel added.
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Part of his collection includes a limited edition pair of Chris Webber shoes and a signed Sacramento Kings bobblehead set. According to Noel, the procedure is approximately $40,000. He says it's not covered by his insurance because it hasn't been approved by the FDA.
"Honestly, to do all this, I really had to swallow my pride because I've never been the kind of person to ask for help," said Noel. "I've always been the kind of person to dish it out."
Noel told ABC10 he had to quit his job of 22 years due to his medical condition. However, the most challenging part about life after the accident has been not being able to be the kind of father and husband he wants to be for his growing family.
"I kinda [feel] like a failure as a dad and same goes for my wife," said Noel. "She's pregnant right now, and I'm not always able to pull my weight around to help her with things around the house."
Noel explained the therapy will help heal his spine and prevent more bone and disc degeneration. If you'd like to help him, click here.
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