Help Maurice & Susan Thibault of 3L Ranch
Donation protected
Hi my name is Debby I am making this request to all friends and acquaintances of Maurice Thibault and Susan Nelson Thibault.
If you are aquainted with them you will know that they have devoted their lives to helping others form a meaningful relationship with horses. To be able to teach at the level they do; takes years of training, patience, stamina, dedication, skill and love.
The last few years have been exceptionally difficult for Maurice and Susan. In May, 2018, one month after getting married, Maurice injured his shoulder and his bicep tendon was torn away from the bone and required surgery; major surgery. While navigating through the very painful healing process of a tendon reattachment surgery; Susan picked up the slack the best one person could when the ranch is a two or three person job.
A year later in April of 2019, literally, overnight, Susan had a sudden onset of debilitating symptoms. She has kept quiet about it publicly; but gave me permission to share here; as only close friends, family and students are aware of her suffering. Two years and 7 months later, she still is going to medical visits at USC School of Keck Medicine in Los Angeles where she is undergoing bloodwork, biopsies, scans, scrappings, imaging, monitoring etc... in order to try to find out what is causing these unbelievably horrific symptoms; inexplicable exhaustion, painful skin rashes, hair loss, weakness, weight loss, digit numbness, digit swelling, loss of appetite, periodic fevers, dizziness, shortness of breath to name a few.
After trying several aggressive medications, she is now 'functioning' with symptom management but not anywhere near her normal level. Her condition is is still undiagnosed and she has a team of doctors in five specialties working on her case. Everything you have seen her share with a smile on Facebook for the last two years and 7 months has been done with a veil of illness, pain, and a will to push through when possible.
In March of 2021, completely out of the blue, Maurice had an abrupt onset of unimaginable pain which caused him to collapse onto all fours in the barn. It was at a pain level he had never experienced in his life. This lead to an ER visit. It turns out his thoracic 3 vertebrae had spontaneously fractured and was pressing on his spinal cord. This required a spinal fusion surgery at the USC School of Keck Medicine. Fusion of T1-T5 vertebrae, while removing the fractured T3, inserting a cage, rods and screws. During this procedure, they discovered a blood cancer called a Solitary Plasmacytoma; which is what had weakened the vertebrae and caused it to bust. This was a massive surgery and with the discovery of cancer; Maurice had to undergo 20 radiation treatments at City of Hope Cancer Treatment Center.
During all of this, both of them have never given up. They continued to push through and maintain their business the best they can with the limitation of the circumstances in front of them. Caring and training horses, teaching their students and at the same time keeping up 3L Ranch. Susan has only been able to work between 0% and 50% of her normal ability for coming on THREE YEARS. Maurice has been unable to work for the past NINE months and thank goodness ; just recently was able to start to teach again.
The Thibaults have always been available to help people as part of their business and more often as a friend or neighbor. I do not know of anyone more deserving of assistance during these times of crises in their lives.
I hope empathy will move you, whether you are a friend, business associate, neighbor, acquaintance or stranger to offer what you can to help this beautiful couple THAT NEVER GIVES UP.
Picture: Their wedding Day - April 7, 2018.
The 3L Ranch
If you are aquainted with them you will know that they have devoted their lives to helping others form a meaningful relationship with horses. To be able to teach at the level they do; takes years of training, patience, stamina, dedication, skill and love.
The last few years have been exceptionally difficult for Maurice and Susan. In May, 2018, one month after getting married, Maurice injured his shoulder and his bicep tendon was torn away from the bone and required surgery; major surgery. While navigating through the very painful healing process of a tendon reattachment surgery; Susan picked up the slack the best one person could when the ranch is a two or three person job.
A year later in April of 2019, literally, overnight, Susan had a sudden onset of debilitating symptoms. She has kept quiet about it publicly; but gave me permission to share here; as only close friends, family and students are aware of her suffering. Two years and 7 months later, she still is going to medical visits at USC School of Keck Medicine in Los Angeles where she is undergoing bloodwork, biopsies, scans, scrappings, imaging, monitoring etc... in order to try to find out what is causing these unbelievably horrific symptoms; inexplicable exhaustion, painful skin rashes, hair loss, weakness, weight loss, digit numbness, digit swelling, loss of appetite, periodic fevers, dizziness, shortness of breath to name a few.
After trying several aggressive medications, she is now 'functioning' with symptom management but not anywhere near her normal level. Her condition is is still undiagnosed and she has a team of doctors in five specialties working on her case. Everything you have seen her share with a smile on Facebook for the last two years and 7 months has been done with a veil of illness, pain, and a will to push through when possible.
In March of 2021, completely out of the blue, Maurice had an abrupt onset of unimaginable pain which caused him to collapse onto all fours in the barn. It was at a pain level he had never experienced in his life. This lead to an ER visit. It turns out his thoracic 3 vertebrae had spontaneously fractured and was pressing on his spinal cord. This required a spinal fusion surgery at the USC School of Keck Medicine. Fusion of T1-T5 vertebrae, while removing the fractured T3, inserting a cage, rods and screws. During this procedure, they discovered a blood cancer called a Solitary Plasmacytoma; which is what had weakened the vertebrae and caused it to bust. This was a massive surgery and with the discovery of cancer; Maurice had to undergo 20 radiation treatments at City of Hope Cancer Treatment Center.
During all of this, both of them have never given up. They continued to push through and maintain their business the best they can with the limitation of the circumstances in front of them. Caring and training horses, teaching their students and at the same time keeping up 3L Ranch. Susan has only been able to work between 0% and 50% of her normal ability for coming on THREE YEARS. Maurice has been unable to work for the past NINE months and thank goodness ; just recently was able to start to teach again.
The Thibaults have always been available to help people as part of their business and more often as a friend or neighbor. I do not know of anyone more deserving of assistance during these times of crises in their lives.
I hope empathy will move you, whether you are a friend, business associate, neighbor, acquaintance or stranger to offer what you can to help this beautiful couple THAT NEVER GIVES UP.
Picture: Their wedding Day - April 7, 2018.
The 3L Ranch
Organizer and beneficiary
Debra Waldman
Organizer
Tehachapi, CA
Susan Nelson Thibault
Beneficiary