Let Luke Live
Donation protected
Thank you for visiting this page. This is a story about a young man in Saskatoon that I became acquainted with through a friend. We have yet to meet but I will be traveling to see him in the very near future.
Luke is 21 years old. He is 5'8" and 600 lbs. Without bariatric weight loss surgery Luke will likely die of obesity. He is, what the medical field call Super Morbidly Obese, or SMO.
Luke is too heavy to have surgery in Saskatchewan. Edmonton clinic told him that he had to lose 300 lbs first before they would operate.
Because of my own personal struggles with obesity, Luke sought me out. I soon recognized that Luke would likely need to be treated for his obesity by a specialist in Quebec or out of country. Luke has no famly physician at this time .. until now.
The stars were aligning when Luke reached out to me for help. I found him a Dr in Saskatoon that would take on his case. I emailed a surgeon in Quebec that is able to handle a patient this size, and this surgeon advised that he will attempt to write to Saskatchewan Health and try to get at least his surgery covered. If that does not happen, we are heading out of country, likely to Brazil.
Regardless which way this works out, Luke is going to need plane fare for himself and his caregiver and likely has to purchase two seats for himself unless we can send him first class.
He will need lodging during the stay, which might be a longer stay based on his size and the complexity of his surgery. The surgeon in Montreal stated that it would be two stages, first a sleeve gastrectomy, followed by the duodenal switch two years later when he was healthier and had lost some weight from the first part of the surgery.
If Saskatchewan Health does not approve the surgeons plan, we know we are headed out of country and the expense for a surgery that is self pay is about 20, 000 .. plus airfare, hotel, meds, and a possible stay in ICU at $5000 per day. We would be looking more in the $40, 000 plus range then.
After surgery he will need therapy and home care as he is on disability now. He is on several medications that will have to be taken care of and he will need a lot of qualified help at home.
We can't wait to start fundraising to find out which way this is going to go. Luke will need funds regardless where he goes. The numbers just increase when it's determined the location he attends.
I will be assisting with other fundraising in Saskatoon to help build this account for him to ensure he has everything he needs and a new chance on life.
When its found out, and IF Saskatchewan Health does not accept the plan, we do not want to start all over again.
We will update you as we go along, when letters are received and decisions made.
At this time, I ask you to help me ... and ... Let Luke Live.
Luke is 21 years old. He is 5'8" and 600 lbs. Without bariatric weight loss surgery Luke will likely die of obesity. He is, what the medical field call Super Morbidly Obese, or SMO.
Luke is too heavy to have surgery in Saskatchewan. Edmonton clinic told him that he had to lose 300 lbs first before they would operate.
Because of my own personal struggles with obesity, Luke sought me out. I soon recognized that Luke would likely need to be treated for his obesity by a specialist in Quebec or out of country. Luke has no famly physician at this time .. until now.
The stars were aligning when Luke reached out to me for help. I found him a Dr in Saskatoon that would take on his case. I emailed a surgeon in Quebec that is able to handle a patient this size, and this surgeon advised that he will attempt to write to Saskatchewan Health and try to get at least his surgery covered. If that does not happen, we are heading out of country, likely to Brazil.
Regardless which way this works out, Luke is going to need plane fare for himself and his caregiver and likely has to purchase two seats for himself unless we can send him first class.
He will need lodging during the stay, which might be a longer stay based on his size and the complexity of his surgery. The surgeon in Montreal stated that it would be two stages, first a sleeve gastrectomy, followed by the duodenal switch two years later when he was healthier and had lost some weight from the first part of the surgery.
If Saskatchewan Health does not approve the surgeons plan, we know we are headed out of country and the expense for a surgery that is self pay is about 20, 000 .. plus airfare, hotel, meds, and a possible stay in ICU at $5000 per day. We would be looking more in the $40, 000 plus range then.
After surgery he will need therapy and home care as he is on disability now. He is on several medications that will have to be taken care of and he will need a lot of qualified help at home.
We can't wait to start fundraising to find out which way this is going to go. Luke will need funds regardless where he goes. The numbers just increase when it's determined the location he attends.
I will be assisting with other fundraising in Saskatoon to help build this account for him to ensure he has everything he needs and a new chance on life.
When its found out, and IF Saskatchewan Health does not accept the plan, we do not want to start all over again.
We will update you as we go along, when letters are received and decisions made.
At this time, I ask you to help me ... and ... Let Luke Live.
Organizer
Tess Boehm
Organizer
Regina, SK
