LAKELAND, Fla. — A former professional water-skier has started a nonprofit to teach men about depression and autoimmune diseases.
- Water-skier lost brother in work accident when he was a teen
- Dan Olson fell into deep depression, was helped by counseling
- In 2018, he fell ill, was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease
- RELATED: The Olson Project website
Dan Olson held a launch party for his foundation, The Olson Project, on Saturday at Brew Hub in Lakeland.
Olson, 31, dealt with depression for more than a decade, after losing his brother, Tim, in a work-related accident.
"I just kind of kept it down. I didn’t really want to talk about it. I thought I needed to be this big, strong, burly guy when realistically, you need to open up," Olson said.
He was 14 when his brother died. It took him 10 years to open up, but he finally did when he went to counseling. He said it helped him a great deal.
Then, the fall of 2018, Olson almost lost his life. He was preparing for a trade show when he didn't feel well.
"I've got (red dots) on my legs... I've got really bad headaches," Olson recalled.
He went to a doctor thinking he was dehydrated.
"The next thing I know, I'm getting rushed to Orlando Regional Medical Center and CT scans and MRIs," OIson said.
Doctors told him he had severe aplastic anemia, an autoimmune disease. They said he was born with it, but in his 31 years of life, he had no idea.
Though it was the shock of his life, he decided to remain in good spirits.
"My bone marrow was not producing platelets or red blood cells. Platelets are what cause you to clot blood. I literally had internal bleeding all over my body along with my brain. I was at risk of stroking out at any moment. I spent three days in neuro ICU," Olson said.
He's on a treatment plan that is forcing his bone marrow to function properly. If the medications don't work, he still may need a bone marrow transplant.
Olson started The Olson Project foundation just a month after he got out of the hospital, because he said he wanted to help others who were going through the same traumatic experience.
"According to the National Institutes of Health, there's over 24 million Americans that are currently dealing with an autoimmune disease, and that number is on the rise every day," Olson said.
He said there are a lot of unknowns surrounding autoimmune diseases. Through fundraisers, his website, online forums, and group outings, he hopes to spread the word about autoimmune diseases and depression, and provide financial assistance to families dealing with it.
