Help Donnovan get treatment at the Mayo Clinic

July started off as a great day. I, along with my younger kids were at a fundraiser we had put together to help Ukrainian refugees here in our city. It was during this time that I got a phone call that is every parent’s worst nightmare. My oldest son Donnovan was taken to the hospital with stroke like symptoms. Once at the hospital Donnovan’s condition was declining and needed to be airlifted into Winnipeg. This day changed our lives.

Previous to all of this Donnovan was a healthy young man. He was the inaugural youth city councillor and volunteered on numerous non-profit boards. He put together a free family fun day and a youth talent show at the Potato Festival for the citizens of our town. He had graduated from Brandon University and was starting a new career in banking that he absolutely loved. Like his family, Donnovan is all about giving back to the community and wouldn’t hesitate to help anyone that needed it. He loves this community and often volunteers whenever asked upon. He currently sits on two different Board of Directors. His future was bright and promising until a routine dentist appointment . Shortly after his appointment he was complaining of an extreme, intense, non-stop pressure in his head. As the days went on he got worse. His balance was completely off causing him to fall often. The pain in his head was more than he could bare.

We have spent the last year going for tests and to various specialist throughout the province. Everything from his family doctor, to a dental surgeon, to an eye doctor , to 3 neurologists and numerous pain specialists. He has had to go through lumbar punctures, , CT scans, mri’s, sleep apnea tests, EEG’s and even Botox injections and acupuncture. He has been on over 20 medications. Some of these are experimental and not covered by his drug plan or Manitoba Health. All of these medications come with their own side effects. None of these medications have helped much, even the strong painkillers don’t give him a whole lot of relief. He is desperate to get his life back.

Donnovan has been living with unbearable pain for over a year. Most days he can barely get through work. He comes home and lays down in the dark with a cold cloth everyday. He is missing so many things he loves. Seeing specialist after specialist with no diagnosis has really impacted his mental health as well. He has a pain management team including a psychiatrist because the pain is reaching the point of affecting mental health. No one should have to go through what he has this past year.

His healthcare team made the decision to try and get him into the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. We are very fortunate that they have accepted his case. Since his case is labeled urgent, they have scheduled his appointment for September 18. He will spend a week getting evaluated and will need to return again in late 2023 to receive treatment. I am travelling with Donnovan for support and to care for him as this trip will be very hard on him.

The costs associated with these appointments are very high. Costs include travel, hotel, food and medical testing is not covered by Manitoba health. In order to be eligible he needs to see another doctor in a different province. Unfortunately the wait times to see a neurologist is very long and not an option right now.

The September trip alone is estimated to be well over $10,000 USD. As a mother I cannot bare to see my son suffering any longer. We miss the man he was before this pain took over. His siblings miss their time with their brother as well. Donnovan has also come to a point where he just cannot handle this anymore. This is our best chance to get him back. It is not easy asking for help, but we are in a position that we really need it. The costs associated with this trip is more than we can handle alone. So we are asking our friends, our family and the kindness of others help. Every single donation will help. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for donating and for sharing this post to help spread the word. Words cannot express how truly grateful we are. Donnovan is barely coping at this point and this trip might mean all the difference in the world. Any money raised will go to helping pay for treatments at the Mayo Clinic along with travel and hotel expenses. His health has continued to rapidly decline. His case has been classified as urgent which is why he got in so soon. This is our best chance to give Donnovan back his life. Thank you for taking the time to read this and for supporting my son in his journey to getting healthy once again.