Hello friends and family. My name is Michael Toutges. I am reaching out for my younger brother Bryan Toutges.

I've been emailing back and forth with him, and to put things simply he's in pain and in debt and really needs help that he just cannot manage himself. This is the last batch of information i received from him:

" Diagnosis and info: As far as I'm currently aware - I have two herniated discs, 2 bulging discs and 2 slipping discs, scoliosis, nerve damage and fraying near hips, (and others he does not want shared). They said that these injuries seem to be very old, they didn't give exacts on how old but they were completely unsurprised when hearing I've been having troubles for over a decade.

PT costs and current plan: PT costs 150$/hr. Based on initial consults, I've gotten mixed reviews on how frequently they want to see me but they've said no less than 3x/week, and more ideally 5x/week, for at minimum 8 weeks. I've been told recovery as a whole will likely be 1 year of daily PT until I experience less daily pain, 3 years until semi-normal functionality, and 5 years until I will truly be a person. My thought is that daily PT with the actual person will only last until they need to not manipulate my spine, muscles, and skin, but I have no idea how long that will actually take. From what the docs are saying, we essentially have to first reset my nervous system, then work on healing the injuries, then work on basic functioning(like bending/moving), then work on bringing basic strength(like lifting 5-10lbs) to those functions.

My current info: I am roughly 6k in debt currently, have no insurance due to my line of work, and have very little actual support network. I can't afford going to PT 1x/week, let alone 5x/week, and am primarily hoping that my ability to privately practice my counseling stuff will actually pull me through all this mess. "

Guys when i received this info my heart broke as an older brother feeling absolutely helpless. I know what its like to have back pain, but not to this degree by any means. My brother used to love rock climbing, playing basketball, and i am not sure exactly how long he has been inactive, but i have only been able to see him even one time over the last few years due to him being unable to make it out in public for any lasting duration.

With this i am coming to you for help. Anything would help him at this point, but i would love to be able to reach a bare minimum of 6k to cover the crippling debt he is already in, and a little on top of that to allow him to get back into his PT that is needed and work towards getting back to a healthy and normal life style. He's an amazing person, and one of the smartest men I've ever met. But his body and bank account are hurting bad right now. Please anything that you could do would mean the world to me, and especially him.

PT costs alone are going to be a massive expense, but could allow him the opportunity to be back working more full time and pay off bills himself as well! But anything helps in the long run!