Help Bryan and his family on his road to recovery

At the end of January, on his 47th birthday, Bryan suffered an ischemic stroke. Michelle came home from work and found him lying on the floor and had to call 911. He was at Kaiser Ontario for over a week then transferred to Casa Colina to go through acute rehab. His left arm and leg were affected. As a result of the stroke, he also lost the of the ability to swallow properly; and due to fear of aspiration, the doctors made the decision to insert a feeding tube which he now uses for meals and medications. We are very fortunate that he is able to speak, and through 5 weeks of physical therapy, has regained a lot of movement in his left arm and leg. He is able to walk on his own and can do some daily activities by himself. He will continue with his therapy and hopefully get back most his pre-stroke abilities.

Michelle had been taking time off work to help him recover which, we all know can be hard on an already tight budget. Pre-stroke, they were living on Michelle’s work income and he was a stay-at-home dad, avoiding the high cost of childcare. Michelle has had to return to work in order not to lose income and place their three girls (11 month old twins and a 3.5 yr old) in daycare. Now that he is recovering at home, they have also had to hire a caregiver to be with him at home while Michelle is at work.

The cost of the caregiver who comes 5 days a week, coupled with the daycare are causing the family great financial hardship.

As a long time friend of Michelle and Bryan, I’m reaching out on their behalf for financial assistance to get their family through this difficult time. Michelle and I have been close friends since high school and my brother and I are godparents to their daughter Paige. We ask that you please consider making a donation and keep in mind that no donation is too small as every little but helps.