Neil Melanson, the Head Grappling Coach at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, Is Fighting a Rare Disease that Causes Blindness, Deafness
Only 13,000 documented cases of Behcet’s disease exist in the United States, and one of them belongs to Neil Melanson, the head grappling coach at Xtreme Couture Mixed Martial Arts in Las Vegas.
The rare autoimmune disorder has already left the 33-year-old Sturbridge, Mass., native blind in one eye and deaf in one ear. He rises each day knowing it has the potential to be his last with the ability to see and hear.
Chronic pain — Behcet’s can result in lesions and various ulcerations — remains a constant companion for Melanson, who, despite being born with the disease, spent seven years in the Navy and also served as a post-9/11 federal air marshal.
“It causes inflammation, and that inflammation can lead to all these different symptoms,” he says. “It’s a very painful disease. There are a lot of people whose life is destroyed by this.”
The full story is in the December issue of Ultimate MMA.
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