Bring Yvan Home

Dear friends, family, and kind-hearted individuals,

My name is Sarah and I am writing today to ask you for your attention and, hopefully, your assistance. We have a loved one who has been in critical condition for over half a year; unable to come home.

Please know that my family and I are very proud and generally private people, and I never thought I would be writing this plea for help, but this situation has caused us to make an exception.

We are hoping to raise $100,000 to help set up our uncle Yvan’s house with the equipment, tools, and supplies needed to support him in his long road to recovery. We need a specialized wheelchair, an elevator or wheelchair lift, a hospital bed, an oxygen and humidifier (Airvo) for his trach, a lift to get him in and out of bed, a specialized vehicle to get him to appointments, ongoing therapy - physio, occupational, speech, etc.

Yvan is an incredibly generous, thoughtful, hardworking man. Having had no children of his own, his entire life was dedicated to his friends and family, particularly his nephews (including my husband). To them, he has always been a trusted confidante. An inspiration. A hero.

From day one of meeting my husband’s family, Yvan made me feel welcome and loved. He has been such a supportive and integral part of our family, which is why we asked him to be the Godfather to our son who was born this past July, 2023.

We were incredibly blessed to have him at the baptism in August. We didn’t realize at the time exactly HOW blessed.

Only one week after the baptism, suddenly and tragically at only 51 years old, Yvan suffered a debilitating stroke while in Toronto with his sister. He was aware of what was happening, and was terrified.

That is the moment when Yvan suddenly became a lightning rod for both misfortune and miracles.

Miracle #1: Despite being exhausted from his long day of travel, Yvan opted to run an errand with his sister that evening, rather than return to his hotel room alone. I can’t imagine what would have become of him had his sister not been there to act so quickly in his time of need.

Within 40 minutes of the first signs of distress, they were at Toronto’s St Michael’s Hospital, a trauma and stroke hospital. A quick glance at his CAT scan not only confirmed the stroke but revealed an even more alarming diagnosis - a dissection of his basilar artery in his brain stem.

Miracle #2: Had he not suffered the first stroke, the dissected artery and resulting aneurysm would not have been discovered, and could have burst at any moment and been instantly lethal.

And then came the second stroke - a brain bleed in his brain stem, the part of the brain that regulates the autonomic functions like breathing, temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, swallowing etc. This was incredibly emotional on the whole family, as he was put on life support and there was little hope of his return. The doctors assessed Yvan for viable organs, and found him to be a suitable donor. Those closest to him were told to say our final goodbyes.

Miracle #3: We all said our devastatingly difficult goodbyes to our beloved Yvan on Sunday of the long weekend in September. It was the most heartbreaking moment many of us have ever had to endure.

Because it was a long weekend, the organ harvesting surgery was scheduled for Tuesday.

On Monday, Yvan’s brain activity spiked and his consciousness came back to us. I can honestly say that this was the biggest miracle I have ever witnessed in my lifetime.

Unfortunately though, this left Yvan in a very rare state known as “Locked-in Syndrome”. Basically, he seemed to be cognitively there— the same Yvan we all know and love; but was unable to connect with his body. He was able to only observe the room, not feel a part of it. His only means of communication were eye movements.

Since this point, Yvan has had SEVERAL brushes with death, as his condition has left him susceptible to many other illnesses and delaying his recovery. I’ve realized that the only thing harder than saying your final goodbyes to someone you love, is saying them two more times after that. Each time assuming you will never have the chance to speak to them again— but each time, holding out a little more hope that he will pull through, despite the odds.

Although he exhibited unbelievable resilience, Yvan was not showing much progress in his recovery. He spent Christmas, and the entire fall and winter seasons, away from home and in a hospital bed, with no end in sight.

Miracle #4: In February of 2024, Yvan was transferred to a hospital closer to home. We have to admit, we were nervous about this decision, as the doctors in Toronto seemed more specialized to deal with stroke rehabilitation.

But Yvan has thrived in his new environment, making tremendous strides in his recovery! He is learning new ways to communicate, and fighting hard to regain his connection with his body. The progress is slow, but noticeable.

The idea of Yvan coming home has now moved from a pipe dream to a conceivable possibility!

Our uncle, who has always put such a high value on independence, was put in a position where he has been entirely reliant on others for his survival. This, paired with the long road of recovery ahead, has caused some moments of wavering morale in our steadfast Yvan. We hope bringing him home gives him the environment he needs to keep his spirits lifted.

We want to thank the health care professionals, employers, friends, and family members for all their continued help, understanding, and support in these past few months.

To call this man the most determined individual I have ever had the pleasure of knowing would be an understatement. I have never met anyone in my life with a greater desire to live. He continues to defy all odds and is an inspiration to us all.

His family wishes to match his determination by helping out as best we can.

My son, Yvan’s Godson, was only 1 month old when Yvan was last able to hold him. He is now 8 months old, and I would love to do my part so my son can get to know Yvan like I do.

We know times are tough all around. So if you are able to contribute, we would be so grateful. Any little bit helps.

Our family visits are not the same without him, and we would like to bring our guy home.

Thank you so much for your time. ❤️