Be a Catalyst: Help Isra Access Life-Saving Surgery

For the one who’s been a catalyst for so many – now it’s our turn.

Isra is one of the strongest people I know – a fierce patient advocate and a generous friend. I’m Emily, and I’m asking you to join me in helping her access the care she urgently needs.

Isra has the chance to have a life-saving surgery – but she needs our help to make it happen.

On July 25, 2025, Isra will travel to Rhode Island for occult tethered cord surgery – a procedure that can relieve severe spinal pain and prevent permanent organ and nerve damage, even paralysis. It’s her best chance to reduce pain and prevent further complications – but it’s not available in Canada.

Isra has distinct memories of debilitating pain in her spine and legs dating back to the age of three. For years, doctors dismissed it as “growing pains” – until, at 16, the pain became so intense she could barely move. That’s when it became clear something more serious was going on.

At 19, Isra was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) – a connective tissue disorder that affects nearly every system in the body. More recently, she received a second diagnosis: occult tethered cord syndrome – a serious neurological condition where the spinal cord is abnormally attached inside the spine, mimicking a spinal cord injury and threatening long-term organ function. Both conditions are congenital, meaning Isra has lived with them since birth – yet she’s faced years of delay and barriers to care, including six separate neurosurgery referrals.

Due to these delays, the damage has progressed. Isra now relies on two feeding tubes and a central line to sustain herself.

In Canada, no neurosurgeon currently performs this type of specialized tethered cord surgery. Isra is fortunate to have found a surgeon in the U.S. with deep expertise in EDS-related spinal conditions – but the cost of surgery, travel, and recovery is significant.

There’s a narrow window of opportunity: Isra’s health insurance coverage ends in August, and the surgery must happen before then to be even remotely affordable. While her insurance may cover part of the procedure, the out-of-pocket costs remain overwhelming. Most urgently – any further delay could eliminate the possibility of reversing the spinal cord and organ damage she’s already endured.

We are hoping to raise $25,000 toward the total cost of surgery and related expenses. Every donation – no matter the size – brings Isra one step closer to relief, recovery, and the chance to live without daily pain.

Isra is someone who believes in happy endings – not the fairytale kind, but the kind we create together. With your help, this surgery can be part of hers. And with less pain, she can continue the bold, compassionate work she’s already known for – as a patient advocate, peer researcher, artist, and health designer.

Please give what you can, and help us spread the word by sharing this page.

Thank you for supporting Isra – your generosity means the world.

With gratitude,

Emily Cordeaux