Jason and Janice McDowell.

Hi My name is Julianne Foote, and I am organizing this fundraiser to help friends who became family long ago.

In a total freak accident Jay was left paralyzed from the neck down and has a long hard journey ahead. This journey has left them needing help for many different things as Janice and Jay cannot work to focused on him at this time.

There whole world has been flipped upside down and have many hurdles ahead.

I asked his daughter Miranda to write up something to explain things a little more….

Among the many tragedies that take place in the world, you never think you’d be part of one. Unfortunately in the early morning of August 25th, my Dad, Jason Mcdowell, had suffered one of those tragedies.

A freak accident, from a mere 3 foot fall, that left his Cervical Vertibraes (C3, C4, C5, C6, C7) fractured. He had broken his neck and severely damaged his spinal cord, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down.

He underwent a 6 1/2 hour emergency surgery to repair his vertebrae and release the pressure on his spinal cord. His movement is minimal, and his breathing has been affected by the paralysis, his diaphragm is helping him breath by pushing into his lungs. 4 weeks prior to his accident he had suffered a grand mal seizure and leg weakness symptoms from HSP (Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia). A disease that runs in my dad’s family on his maternal side and has affect 6 family members past and present.

The doctors continually tell us this is a day by day situation and they don’t have a crystal ball to tell us what his future may hold. What we do know is we want to make his future is as stress-free and as close to normal as we possibly can. Maybe not our old normal but our new normal.

He’s our rock and pillar of strength, he loves being outdoors, camping, fishing, boating, kayaking, strumming his guitar around a fire with his loved ones. His sense of humour and sarcasm, keeps laughter in our households. It’s now our time to be the rock and pillar for him.

Looking past our pride is not an easy task but a necessary one. We are recognizing the kind of assistance our family will need to help my Dad lead as normal of a life as possible upon returning home. This will be a long journey with an unknown outcome.

The amount of support pouring in already has been overwhelming and beyond heartwarming. We are all so grateful for the love and support we have received thus far. You don’t realize until a tragedy happens, the kind of community and friends (past & present) that are there for you when it is needed. Our gratitude is beyond even words.

Thank you truly from the bottom of our hearts, for being here when we have needed you most.