Hi there.   My name is Richard Leasak.  I am a 44yr old man, husband, father of four wonderful daughters and grandfather to two amazing grandchildren.  I have been an RN for 20yrs, most of that working in ICU's.  In June of 2014, I began to have a sore back.  I attributed this to working in the hospital and moving patients.  I was going to take the last ten days of June off for my vacation.  My youngest daughter was about to graduate from high school so I had planned my time off around that time.  I though that by being off for over a week, my back would get some rest, so I didn't go see a doctor for the pain.  We arrived in my home town for my daughter's celebration on June 21st, 2014.  After that I have no memory, I was sufferring from extreme sepsis, like a total body infection.  I was in the ICU on life support starting on June 23, 2014.  Because of the limited resources at the hospital, I was eventually transferred to the same ICU that I was working on.  On July 2nd, 2014, they discovered that I had spinal meningitis from a spinal abscess, which was the entire length of my spine.  Following surgery, the doctors felt that i was going to be a quadrapalegic.  I had a tracheostomy and feeding tube.  I had no sensation to my body and no movement.  To make things worse, I was actively hallucinating because of the medication I was recieving and from the effects on my brain from the infection's toxins.  Over the course of the summer of 2014, I stabilized physically because of all of my fellow coworkers skill and effort, my family's support and tons of prayers.  September 4, 2014 was when I began a 2 month inpatient rehab program.  Upon arrival, I could only move my right thumb.  After discharge, I came home and continued to improve.  I have had outpatient rehab periodically, but my wife and caregivers have constantly worked with me.  I know have all movment to my left are but severe numbness in the left hand.  My right shoulder's range is impaired but improving.  I remain paralysed from the knees down with almost no sensation from the legs below the knee.  I have just started walking with a walker and assistance and today did 10 ft. The paralysed lower legs are compensated and aided by special orthotics.   As my mobility is changing, I find myself needing help buying things for my safetly and hopefully to aid in my mobility.  I need bars in the hallway and bathroom, a walker with wheels and hopefully a little left over to make it so that I can drive my car using my hands, thereby letting me start to work again.  Any donation would greatly help.  The modification to my car's steering column is a few thousand dollars alone.  With what I bring in each month, we are constantly selling thing on sites to make a bit of money to loosen the budget.  Thank you for taking the time to read this long story and especially for any assistance you might give.  Sincerely, Richard Leasak