Urgent: Help Former Veterinary Care Worker Rei Access Life‑Saving Diagnostic Testing and Neurosurgical Care

Dear Friends, Family, and Kind Strangers,

My name is Gina, and I am reaching out in absolute urgency on behalf of my child, Rei. For the past three years, Rei has been completely bedbound, trapped in a body that is actively breaking down. What started as severe rugby concussions at age 18 has progressed into a terrifying neurological crisis.

Rei finally has a suspected medical explanation — but we need your help to get him to the specialists who can confirm it and provide the care he urgently needs.

The Crisis: A Firing Brainstem

Rei used to be an athlete, a student, and a passionate worker in his dream field of veterinary medicine in Toronto. He spent his youth caring for and saving animals. Today, he cannot feed himself, safely navigate the stairs in our home, or reliably communicate on many days.

Rei’s upper cervical spine appears to be dangerously unstable, causing symptoms consistent with severe Craniocervical Instability (CCI), Atlantoaxial Instability (AAI), and possibly Occult Tethered Cord Syndrome. His skull may be sink‑compressing his brainstem and stretching his spinal cord. Because the brainstem controls automatic life functions, Rei’s body can no longer regulate itself. He is experiencing:

* Respiratory distress

* Neurological shocks and widespread numbness

* Autonomic failure (heart rate, blood pressure, swallowing, vision)

* Gastrointestinal shutdown

These symptoms are progressive and life‑threatening.

How This Happened (Injury History)

Rei’s cervical instability did not appear suddenly. It developed over many years of contact sports beginning at age 7, repeated mild traumatic brain injuries, suspected hypermobile Ehlers‑Danlos syndrome, and structural damage from past chiropractic manipulation.

These factors likely contributed to progressive upper cervical instability that can no longer heal without specialized intervention.

Why Canadian Doctors Cannot Diagnose This

Doctors in Canada have not been able to diagnose or manage Rei’s condition because the instability cannot be seen on standard imaging here. The specialized upright, rotational, and positional scans required to detect upper cervical instability simply do not exist in Canada. Without these scans, the true extent of Rei’s injury cannot be evaluated, and no Canadian specialist can confirm or treat it.

This is why Rei must travel to Spain for proper diagnostic testing.

Why We Must Go to Spain (Testing Comes First)

After years of searching, Rei finally had two virtual consultations with world‑renowned neurosurgeons both in Barcelona, Spain. The specialists reviewed Rei’s history and explained that his symptoms strongly match severe CCI and AAI — but this diagnosis cannot be officially confirmed until Rei undergoes specialized upright and rotational imaging that is not available in Canada.

The hospital requires Rei to travel to Barcelona for diagnostic testing first.

Only after these tests are completed will the neurosurgical team be able to:

* confirm the diagnosis

* determine the exact surgical plan

* provide the precise cost of treatment

The current fundraising goal reflects:

* the known medical testing costs

* the estimated surgical package

* the required medical travel and recovery lodging

The exact surgical amount will be finalized after testing.

Our Two‑Phase Medical Plan

Rei plans to undergo the required diagnostic testing in Spain as soon as the initial funds are gathered.

After testing, he will return home to Canada while the neurosurgical team finalizes:

* the confirmed diagnosis

* the exact surgical plan

* the itemized surgical quote

Once we have the full medical plan and precise costs, we will continue fundraising with the exact amounts provided by the hospital.

The Barrier: Canada Cannot Provide This Care

Rei has spent over a decade tracking down specialists across Canada, only to be repeatedly turned away because local doctors “just don’t know” how to handle a spinal injury this complex. The specialized upright diagnostic imaging and neurosurgical evaluation Rei needs do not exist in Canada, and our public health system will not fund out‑of‑country testing or treatment.

Rei is on disability benefits, which do not cover specialized international medical diagnostics or neurosurgery.

The Hope

For the first time in ten years, a specialist looked at Rei’s history and said, “I believe you — and I think I can help.” Hearing those words left Rei in tears of relief. There is a path forward — but the hospital requires full payment for diagnostic testing before they can schedule his evaluation and determine the surgical plan.

Where Your Donations Go (Medical Expenses Only)

To get Rei to Spain and back safely for diagnostic testing and potential neurosurgical stabilization, we have calculated our current estimated costs in Canadian Dollars (CAD):

* Specialized diagnostic imaging (required before surgery): estimated $10,000 CAD

* Main surgical package (if testing confirms the diagnosis): estimated $110,000 CAD

* Mandatory medical travel & wheelchair‑accessible recovery lodging: estimated $25,000 CAD

* Platform fees: Standard GoFundMe processing fees

Total Funding Goal: $149,000 CAD (subject to adjustment once testing is complete)

All funds raised will be used exclusively for medically necessary diagnostics, surgery (if confirmed), medical travel, and recovery lodging.

How You Can Help

Rei has spent his entire life wanting to heal others’ pain rather than ask for help. Now, his body is giving out, and he is fighting for survival. Every day he continues to deteriorate and is terrified of where he will be this time next year.

If you cannot donate, please share this link. Sharing helps push Rei’s story outside our small local circle and into the wider Ehlers‑Danlos Syndrome (EDS), veterinary, and animal‑welfare communities where larger donors can see it.

From the absolute bottom of our hearts, thank you for giving Rei a chance at a future. Thank you for giving us all hope.