Hi Everyone,

My name is Chris Parker and I never in a million years thought I would be writing this post. On November 15th, 2023 my life changed forever. During a routine surgery for the spinal disease I was born with, an extremely rare complication occurred that damaged my spinal cord at C3 and C4. I woke up with absolutely no feeling in my body from the neck down. For the first two weeks, I had no function to go to the bathroom for myself. Machines did it for me. Ive had to learn how to walk again. I still consider myself extremely blessed that I am Quadriparesis, not Quadriplegic. I can move my arms and legs (thank God!), I just can’t feel them and I have lost a lot of strength in my arms and legs. As I write this, I’m in the Emergency Room at USA Hospital in Mobile. I have developed an infection in the spine. The proximity of the infection to my brain is concerning to the doctors. I will have another surgery tomorrow to remove the infection and assess any new damage. The neurosurgeon tells me it will be at least a year before we know if the Quadriparesis is temporary or permanent. I do intensive physical therapy 3 times a week. My return to work date is to-be-determined at some point in the future. I have always been fiercely independent and have wrestled long and hard over whether or not to ask for help. The medical bills that insurance doesn’t cover will be astronomical. Daily living expenses continue to pile up and I can’t work to pay them. Any help you can afford to contribute would mean the world to me. I know it’s Christmas time and money is tight so I certainly understand not being able to. Kind words and well wishes are just as special to me. Maybe just sharing the post among your friend network could be a great contribution. I’m attaching my hospital discharge papers with the Quadriparesis diagnosis so people don’t have to worry about being scammed. Hopefully I have enough friends on here that can vouch for my character and that I would never ask for help unless it was urgently needed. Thank you in advance!

Love,

Chris