Hello My name is Shari, and I am writing this because i need help taking care of my family. I am a 46 yr old mother of 4. My first son A.J. passed away, but would have been 16 this May. Then there is our 13 yr old bonus daughter Morgan, our 12 yr old son Dayne, and our 5 yr old daughter Quinn.

My partner Leif and I both work full time in healthcare with adults with developmental delays. I've had the same employer for 28yrs, Leif for 15+yrs.

Here is our story...

In 2020 I experienced some minor hip pain and it continued for about 6 months before I saw my physician. He recommended i put ice on it and rest. That didnt seem to help so i went back again... and again... and again. After a revolving door of Dr appt and walk in visits, I was finally sent for xrays in 2022. Thats when i learned that I have severe osteoarthritis in both hips, and that I would need a double hip replacement. I was able to continue to work up until June of 2024 when I unfortunately had a fall at work. I was then put off on WCB and i have been unable to walk on my own since. It started out that I required a cane to move about and quickly got worse. At this point I require a walker or two canes for any mobility. Because of the extreme damage in my hips i was unable to do much of the physio assigned to me from WCB, and therefore i was cut off. I applied for Long Term Disability and was not accepted as they had determined that WCB should be responsible. WCB determined that Long Term should cover me, so i was placed in a limbo between the two. WCB cut me off in October, and in March LDD accepted me. So for six months i no longer had any income. That quickly ate up the savings i had, and then some. During this time my mother passed away in December of 2024. Unfortunately, she did not have her affairs in order, so then I became responsible for her aftercare. I applied for the death benefits and am still waiting for their reply.

This has been a very trying time for my family financially, but emotionally too. Our daughter has autism and requires extra care which adds to the never ending mountain of responsibilities that i am becoming unable to carrying out.

Physically, i am experiencing tremendous difficulties. Simple things like... dressing myself. I can't dress myself. I cannot always navigate to the basement to do the laundry. I cannot stand for more than a few minutes, so cooking and cleaning up the dishes is almost impossible. I cannot carry my plate to the sink after a meal. I can't get onto the floor and do puzzles, or, play in the sand at the park with my kids. I can't go onto the trampoline with them, or go for a walk in the sunshine, or teach my daughter to ride her bike. I absolutely LOVE flowers and gardening. It is my passion, but now i cannot kneel down to weed or plant anything anymore. Every aspect of my life has been changed. Most nights I wake up 3-4 times from the pain. I am on pain management, however the medications are addictive, mildly effective and come with many side effects. They are poisons. I must take those pills every day just to try and keep the excruciating pain from being unbearable.

Each morning I have to navigate stairs to reach the main floor, which can take up to 10 mins, depending on the day. From there I have two choices : I can sit on a modified chair at the kitchen table, or , sit in a recliner in the living room. That is where I stay, getting up only to use the washroom. That is how I have spent the last 7 months.

I am on a waiting list for replacement, which is currently around a three year wait. I cannot live like this for another three years. My family needs me NOW. There is also hesitation on the part of AHS due to my age. They feel i should wait as long as possible, suggestions included waiting until i am my Fifties before they operate, because more than likely i will require another surgery during my lifetime.

I have started this gofundme to ask for help in raising the funds needed to have my hips replaced in a private clinic out of province, where the wait time is 2 weeks to 3 months max. The price of a single hip replacement is around 30K. It's a lot of money, and that is why i am reaching out for help. I have no choice... this is our only hope.

Please help Me. Please help my family.

Thank you.