Brain Surgery & Recovery for Corey
Donation protected
I'm sure all of you have been blindsided by bad news in your life at one point or another. Things that you never thought you had to prepare for, but regardless they happen.
I have had the pleasure of getting to know Corey over the past few years and he has always been there when I needed him and is a do anything for you kind of guy no matter how long he's known you. I knew that he had previously been having some health concerns but nothing that any doctor visits really could define. So when I heard the news of what they finally found, I was met with mixed emotions. I was grateful that he was able to finally put some real reasoning behind why he was feeling the way that he was, but at the same time absolutely floored at the gravity of what this diagnosis means for him, his loved ones, and those closest to him.
------
To give the full context, I wanted to share Corey's own words regarding his journey:
"I noticed that I had a slight tingling/numbness on the right side of my body that started in February. I went to the Dr. and she said it was probably a vitamin deficiency and ran a bunch of labs. Everything came back normal. I then went back in for more tests and she recommended an EMG. They poked me with needles and electrocuted my nerves to test them. Again, everything came back normal. The Dr. who did the EMG recommended that I get an MRI of my brain to see what was going on. My normal Dr. then put me through more blood work which also came back normal. I figured it was time for a second opinion. I went to a new Dr. and he ran 9 labs the first day I met him. Everything came back normal so he recommended that I get an MRI of my Brain and Cervical Spine to “rule anything out”.
The MRI’s were done on June 6th. When I finished the second MRI and sat up on the table, the tech walked in and said, “We have found a brain tumor, and you need to go to the ER right away. We have your doctor on the phone and he would like to talk to you.” I ended up being admitted 30 minutes later to Sparrow Hospital where I would get more blood work done and two more MRI’s.
It was confirmed that I had what is called an Ependymoma. A brain tumor that lives in the 4th Ventricle of my brain near the cerebellum and spinal cord on the brain stem. After consultation, the doctors decided that removal of the brain tumor was mandatory. Surgery is the best option to remove it but it can be very tricky to do properly. Because of the location, there are many side effects that can occur during the removal. Nerves for the face, throat, eyes, and motor function are all located right there making the surgery very dangerous."
------
Even with successful surgery, the extended and after care is where the true financial burden is and where Corey needs our help. The surgery itself is costly, along with the hospital recovery, any possible rehab after, but the extended care is not typically covered by any insurance. Not knowing what the cost of this care could entail will make this a lingering financial burden on him, but it's a stress that we can help alleviate.
I am creating this GoFundMe as I know that there are many people whose lives have been touched directly by Corey's kindness, generosity, and friendship and would want to help in every way possible. This is the way that you can help. Through this GoFundMe we can provide Corey with the financial stability to pursue the best and most effective treatment, recovery, rehabilitation, and after care that he could possibly hope for going into such a scary event where the best is the only option.
Every donation will, without a doubt, offer Corey a peace of mind that he hasn't had since his diagnosis. Please spread the word and share this campaign, if there were ever a person in this world who deserves it more, it's this guy. Not to mention uplift him and show him we care.
We will be updating this page as time goes on and we learn more. As of this moment, the tentative schedule for the brain surgery will be end of July, giving us some time to really help prepare Corey for this procedure.
If you have any questions regarding this campaign, donations, etc. please feel free to reach out to me directly.
Corey has also generously offered to be available to answer any questions regarding his treatment. If you do not have his contact information, please reach out to me directly as Corey has provided an email that I can share upon request.
Any uplifting words and well wishes are always welcome to help Corey through this.
I have had the pleasure of getting to know Corey over the past few years and he has always been there when I needed him and is a do anything for you kind of guy no matter how long he's known you. I knew that he had previously been having some health concerns but nothing that any doctor visits really could define. So when I heard the news of what they finally found, I was met with mixed emotions. I was grateful that he was able to finally put some real reasoning behind why he was feeling the way that he was, but at the same time absolutely floored at the gravity of what this diagnosis means for him, his loved ones, and those closest to him.
------
To give the full context, I wanted to share Corey's own words regarding his journey:
"I noticed that I had a slight tingling/numbness on the right side of my body that started in February. I went to the Dr. and she said it was probably a vitamin deficiency and ran a bunch of labs. Everything came back normal. I then went back in for more tests and she recommended an EMG. They poked me with needles and electrocuted my nerves to test them. Again, everything came back normal. The Dr. who did the EMG recommended that I get an MRI of my brain to see what was going on. My normal Dr. then put me through more blood work which also came back normal. I figured it was time for a second opinion. I went to a new Dr. and he ran 9 labs the first day I met him. Everything came back normal so he recommended that I get an MRI of my Brain and Cervical Spine to “rule anything out”.
The MRI’s were done on June 6th. When I finished the second MRI and sat up on the table, the tech walked in and said, “We have found a brain tumor, and you need to go to the ER right away. We have your doctor on the phone and he would like to talk to you.” I ended up being admitted 30 minutes later to Sparrow Hospital where I would get more blood work done and two more MRI’s.
It was confirmed that I had what is called an Ependymoma. A brain tumor that lives in the 4th Ventricle of my brain near the cerebellum and spinal cord on the brain stem. After consultation, the doctors decided that removal of the brain tumor was mandatory. Surgery is the best option to remove it but it can be very tricky to do properly. Because of the location, there are many side effects that can occur during the removal. Nerves for the face, throat, eyes, and motor function are all located right there making the surgery very dangerous."
------
Even with successful surgery, the extended and after care is where the true financial burden is and where Corey needs our help. The surgery itself is costly, along with the hospital recovery, any possible rehab after, but the extended care is not typically covered by any insurance. Not knowing what the cost of this care could entail will make this a lingering financial burden on him, but it's a stress that we can help alleviate.
I am creating this GoFundMe as I know that there are many people whose lives have been touched directly by Corey's kindness, generosity, and friendship and would want to help in every way possible. This is the way that you can help. Through this GoFundMe we can provide Corey with the financial stability to pursue the best and most effective treatment, recovery, rehabilitation, and after care that he could possibly hope for going into such a scary event where the best is the only option.
Every donation will, without a doubt, offer Corey a peace of mind that he hasn't had since his diagnosis. Please spread the word and share this campaign, if there were ever a person in this world who deserves it more, it's this guy. Not to mention uplift him and show him we care.
We will be updating this page as time goes on and we learn more. As of this moment, the tentative schedule for the brain surgery will be end of July, giving us some time to really help prepare Corey for this procedure.
If you have any questions regarding this campaign, donations, etc. please feel free to reach out to me directly.
Corey has also generously offered to be available to answer any questions regarding his treatment. If you do not have his contact information, please reach out to me directly as Corey has provided an email that I can share upon request.
Any uplifting words and well wishes are always welcome to help Corey through this.
Organizer and beneficiary
Chris White
Organizer
Lansing, MI
Corey Wagner
Beneficiary
