Let's help Yuri
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We, Yuri's family, partner, and friends would like to raise funds to help Yuri recover from his life-changing spinal cord injury and live fulfilling and valued life as independently as possible.
Juriho FB stránku a slovenskú verziu tejto zbierky možno nájsť / Slovak version of this fundraising page and Yuri's FB page can be found here:
www.facebook.com/JuroYuri
Juraj Jakubac (pronounced Yuri) is 30 years old avid mountain biker, passionate climber, fisherman, photographer and traveler. He is originally from Slovakia and he came to Canada with his girlfriend 18 months ago through work and travel program to enjoy BC's outdoor playground - especially world-famous bike trails on North Shore and Sea to Sky region and climbing walls of Squamish. Yuri was a bike mechanic in Slovakia for last 5 years, and he hoped to work in a cycling-related field here in Canada as well, but he ended up working as rope access technician.
On Tuesday August 28th, Yuri and his three riding buddies went to ride their favorite trail on Mt Seymour in North Vancouver after work. There are few technical and steep rock faces they've all ridden before, but this time one of these rock faces changed his life forever. When Yuri tumbled down and landed on his head all of his friends immediately knew that this is very serious, Yuri wasn't moving but was awake and describing that he was unable to feel nor move from neck down.
His friends did an incredible job of looking after him and running up the trail to meet the firefighter crew, then the North Shore Rescue were able to assist just in time with Talon helicopters flying to airlift him off the mountain before darkness. Yuri was taken to the hospital and underwent emergency surgery in order to have the best chance to recover.
Yuri's sister, who is also a resident of the Mount Seymour area with her young family, got the call the next morning confirming the surgery went very well, but her brother suffered a very severe spinal injury in the neck area (C6). Doctors said that he will not be able to walk again, but they hope that Yuri will at least have limited functionality in his hands which should allow him to live his life independently.
We, Yuri's family, partner, and friends would like to express our sincere thanks and appreciation to; Yuri's bike buddies, the members of North Vancouver Fire Department, North Shore Rescue and Talon Helicopters for their heroic efforts. Also the medical professionals from BC Ambulance and Vancouver General Hospital for their amazing care and expertise.
Yuri is currently benefiting from the excellent care of spinal cord injury specialists in Vancouver General Hospital. Every day he is doing better than the day before. He is not fed via tube anymore, he is breathing on his own and he started with exercises to strengthen his muscles. He can control his biceps, wrist and partly triceps… sadly not his fingers yet.
There is long and demanding road ahead of him, but Yuri is a very tough guy with extremely positive attitude to life so we have no doubt that he can prove to recover better than expected.
This page is to raise money to help with the many costs that come from this life-changing bike accident. Yuri’s hospitalisation is covered for now, but doctors and specialists estimated that the total costs of Yuri’s recovery and adaptation to new life can easily exceed 80 000 CAD. The most significant items are:
- the long road ahead of rehabilitation and treatments (50 000 CAD and up):
- rehabilitation
- physiotherapy
- stem cell therapy
- the purchase of the necessary equipment to adapt to new life
- power wheelchair (5 000 - 15 000 CAD)
- ceiling lift (5 000 - 10 000 CAD)
- bed mattress (up to 4 000 CAD)
- electric bed frame (up to 3 000 CAD)
- commode / toilet ( up to 5 000 CAD)
- other “at this point unknown” expenses
If you are able and would like to support Yuri, please make a donation. Even small contributions will make a difference when they come from many of us.
If you are intersted in how Yuri is doing and how raised funds were used, please follow Yuri @ https://www.facebook.com/pg/JuroYuri/
Juriho FB stránku a slovenskú verziu tejto zbierky možno nájsť / Slovak version of this fundraising page and Yuri's FB page can be found here:
www.facebook.com/JuroYuri
Juraj Jakubac (pronounced Yuri) is 30 years old avid mountain biker, passionate climber, fisherman, photographer and traveler. He is originally from Slovakia and he came to Canada with his girlfriend 18 months ago through work and travel program to enjoy BC's outdoor playground - especially world-famous bike trails on North Shore and Sea to Sky region and climbing walls of Squamish. Yuri was a bike mechanic in Slovakia for last 5 years, and he hoped to work in a cycling-related field here in Canada as well, but he ended up working as rope access technician.
On Tuesday August 28th, Yuri and his three riding buddies went to ride their favorite trail on Mt Seymour in North Vancouver after work. There are few technical and steep rock faces they've all ridden before, but this time one of these rock faces changed his life forever. When Yuri tumbled down and landed on his head all of his friends immediately knew that this is very serious, Yuri wasn't moving but was awake and describing that he was unable to feel nor move from neck down.
His friends did an incredible job of looking after him and running up the trail to meet the firefighter crew, then the North Shore Rescue were able to assist just in time with Talon helicopters flying to airlift him off the mountain before darkness. Yuri was taken to the hospital and underwent emergency surgery in order to have the best chance to recover.
Yuri's sister, who is also a resident of the Mount Seymour area with her young family, got the call the next morning confirming the surgery went very well, but her brother suffered a very severe spinal injury in the neck area (C6). Doctors said that he will not be able to walk again, but they hope that Yuri will at least have limited functionality in his hands which should allow him to live his life independently.
We, Yuri's family, partner, and friends would like to express our sincere thanks and appreciation to; Yuri's bike buddies, the members of North Vancouver Fire Department, North Shore Rescue and Talon Helicopters for their heroic efforts. Also the medical professionals from BC Ambulance and Vancouver General Hospital for their amazing care and expertise.
Yuri is currently benefiting from the excellent care of spinal cord injury specialists in Vancouver General Hospital. Every day he is doing better than the day before. He is not fed via tube anymore, he is breathing on his own and he started with exercises to strengthen his muscles. He can control his biceps, wrist and partly triceps… sadly not his fingers yet.
There is long and demanding road ahead of him, but Yuri is a very tough guy with extremely positive attitude to life so we have no doubt that he can prove to recover better than expected.
This page is to raise money to help with the many costs that come from this life-changing bike accident. Yuri’s hospitalisation is covered for now, but doctors and specialists estimated that the total costs of Yuri’s recovery and adaptation to new life can easily exceed 80 000 CAD. The most significant items are:
- the long road ahead of rehabilitation and treatments (50 000 CAD and up):
- rehabilitation
- physiotherapy
- stem cell therapy
- the purchase of the necessary equipment to adapt to new life
- power wheelchair (5 000 - 15 000 CAD)
- ceiling lift (5 000 - 10 000 CAD)
- bed mattress (up to 4 000 CAD)
- electric bed frame (up to 3 000 CAD)
- commode / toilet ( up to 5 000 CAD)
- other “at this point unknown” expenses
If you are able and would like to support Yuri, please make a donation. Even small contributions will make a difference when they come from many of us.
If you are intersted in how Yuri is doing and how raised funds were used, please follow Yuri @ https://www.facebook.com/pg/JuroYuri/
Organizer
Petra Jakubacova
Organizer
North Vancouver, BC
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