Recovery following back surgery.

My name is Devon Peterson. I live in Edmonton, Alberta.

I'm raising money to fund my recovery following surgery to correct a painful physical ailment. Since childhood, I have kyphosis and scoliosis, known as Scheuermann's disease, in the thoracic section of my spine which causes me to have a hunch and slant in my torso. Not only is Scheuermann's disease painful but I have developed osteoarthritis in several vertebrae as well as my shoulders. Surgery will correct my posture, help alleviate the pain caused by the disease, and help me feel better about who I am in my body.

The surgery itself is highly involved, requiring two titanium rods to be affixed to my vertebrae with screws. Recovery will be a long and difficult process. For the first three months, I won't be able to take care of myself at all. Full recovery can take anywhere from six months to a year. Your donation will help me afford my rent in a safe place to recover, bills, and the food I will need for myself and my dog, Pancake.

The past few years have been trying. I've been a student, moved into a job I was laid off from after a few months in 2023, struggled to find a job through most of 2024, slowly burned my savings, and have been under employed for only a few months. I've been trying to get surgery since 2019. However, Covid-19 set back surgeries, my lifelong surgeon retired, orthopedic surgeries have been interrupted, and my new surgeon has a full waitlist. Normally, the waitlist is around 18 months, but the new surgeon has been trying to get me in earlier. I have been waiting for 14 months, and though I don't have a set date I know that surgery is impending, can happen at anytime, and I don't have the resources to recover from it. Asking for donations is my last hope as I don't qualify for EI, short-term disability, or government assistance.

I'm a single man with a loving little dog, trying to make my life a little better with a surgery I have needed for years.