We are Daniel and Lauren Lewis and we are raising funds for our friend Dave Bean

Here's the exact situation, as explained by himself.

"I never thought the day would come that I would need a hand. Since I am not on a medical scheme, I actually do need help. It is impossible for me to raise this kind money and I just have to put my pride in my pocket and see if there is any truth in the saying "you have to give to receive".

I started urinating frequently, sometimes twenty times a day. More often than not with extreme urgency, whilst having a lot of pain in the process.

I knew it wasn’t just a case of me getting older. I suspected that I had a bladder infection and tried to see a doctor quite early on. I was in pain every time I went over a bump in the car. With COVID at it's peak, and not having a "regular" family doctor, I battled for four months to find a doctor that was willing to help me. This help came in the form of an "online doctor", who prescribed antibiotics and arranged for a urine sample to be taken at the local hospital.

As expected, there was an infection and the online doctor put me on a further course of antibiotics. When this did not work, the online doctor said I needed to see a doctor in-person. He arranged an appointment with a local doctor, with a preliminary diagnosis of Acute prostatitis.

I had a "manual" prostate exam and the new doctor stated that I had an enlarged prostate and for the next 3-4 months I was placed on several further courses of antibiotics and alpha blockers. The pain would subside a little and the frequency of urinating slowed down a little, but the minute I came off the antibiotics we were back to square one … with increased pain. The urology referral took another few months. By this time, I had been suffering in pain for a year.

When I arrived at the urologist, the new urine sample showed that I had a "raging" bladder infection and he immediately placed me on more antibiotics and alpha blockers. A few weeks later the infection had abated and I had the rather painful exploratory scope done. The urologist was shocked to find what he called.. a ROCK in my bladder. It is a huge stone, almost 2 inches across!! To confirm what he saw on the scope, he took an x-ray and lo and behold... there it was!!

The stone was blocking the urethra, causing a very slow flow of urine, the bladder not emptying properly, causing a recurring infection. This is severely affecting my life, my sanity and that of my wife. I am extremely fortunate that she loves me. I am not a pleasure to be around at times. Anyone else would have left me a long time ago!! I can't do anything without being in pain or needing to go to the toilet. Standing up, pain, sitting down, pain... trying to go for a walk... pain... and then off to the toilet we go.

The constant pain and frequent bathroom breaks make it impossible to work. I cannot concentrate due to sporadic bladder spasms. Further issues have now surfaced due to the chronic inflammation...Psoriasis, brought on by stress from chronic pain, and meralgia paresthetica, caused by compression of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve.

We used to visit friends and enjoy others company and have fun on occasion, but for the past year, with this current condition, I have really put a damper on my wife's life too.

I am too irritable and in too much pain to go out. Romance has taken a back seat and intimacy has also been non-existent in our relationship .. it even hurts when I want to give my wife a hug!! It's hard to explain this, and even harder to accept! The recommended treatment is to have two procedures done to blast the stone with a laser, breaking it down and removing the fragments. The quoted hospital charges alone for these procedures are $26,000 for the Litholopaxy and $31,000 for the Cystourethroscopy with Lithotripsy. This does not include surgeon or anesthesiologist fees.... or any unforeseen issues.

Once this surgery has been done, the other issues will hopefully go away, if no more pain and no more infection... and no more stress!!! For many years, I have always been the first to help others in need. From organizing and coordinating hurricane relief efforts for Dominica during Maria, to donating a vacation to the Children's Wish Foundation for an entire family with a child suffering from a terminal illness. I have visited numerous orphanages donating toys, donated books to underfunded schools and more…. I just hope that with your help, I can get better and be able to continue helping others by paying it forward again."

Let's help him get some quality of life back. Thanks.