Help Brian Breathe

Who is Brian?

Brian Crabbe, 65, is from Milton Prince Edward Island; he has been married to Anne for 47 years. Together they have six children. Brian worked with automotive parts for over 40 years. He also was a backyard mechanic, woodworker and volunteered as a 4-H woodworking instructor for 15 years. Brian has severe COPD. Brian is my dad.

Ever the tinker-er, my dad has always been in his element when putting something together or taking something apart.

Growing up there was always a project, or five, on the go. You could always rely on dad to have that obscure tool, or know-how to tackle your to-do list.

Dad’s willingness to share knowledge and take on projects, along with his sociable nature, has made him a friend to many.

Need your lawn mower fixed? Go visit Brian. Car making a funny noise? Call Brian. Need your driveway plowed? Car stuck in the ditch? Need a woodlot cut? Brian. You get the point. We shared our dad with the community.

These days Dad moves a bit slower, but with no less intention. He has had to channel his energy into new endeavors, amongst which includes advocating for Islanders living with COPD, a chronic degenerative lung disease.

Dad’s own journey with COPD began in 2009 with his initial diagnosis. By 2013 he was requiring intermittent oxygen supplementation during flares, and by 2016 he required oxygen supplementation 24/7.

As Dad’s disease advanced it came with realizations that he would not be able to participate in the same hobbies he once loved. He kept working several years with the assistance of a portable oxygen concentrator but has since had to retire due to his disease progression.

Thanks to the implementation of his COPD action plan, and the wonderful interdisciplinary care provided by the Pulmonary Rehab team Dad has been able to manage his disease close to home for nearly 15 years. Unfortunately, COPD is a chronic degenerative condition and we have reached the point where additional supports are required.

After extensive testing, and years of coordination with respirologists and the Toronto transplant team, we officially received news that Dad is a candidate for lung transplant.

What does this mean?

This means that my parents, Brian and Anne will need to relocate to Toronto, Ontario for an undetermined amount of time before a match becomes available. They will also need to remain in Toronto for a length recovery period after the transplant is performed. My mother will be unable to work as she acts as dad’s primary support during this journey.

The province of PEI will subsidize some of the costs associated with accommodation, but a significant portion of household living expenses and transportation will be out of pocket. As one can imagine this can be overwhelming on a single-income household. The projected cost is ambiguous, as we cannot predict how long they will have to stay.

My parents would never want to burden anyone, they are proud and hard-working.

I’m reaching out, asking you to help the helper.

It would be an enormous relief if we could reduce some of the financial burden related to their stay in Toronto.

For those wanting to help but are unable to financially, every like and share helps.

Your words of encouragement and support help.

For those local to us we will be having a benefit in November – stay tuned!

Thank you to the many people who have reached out.

Thank you for being invested in our story, we will try to keep you updated as best we can moving forward.

Thank you,

Katryna and entire the Crabbe family.