Urgent Medical Appeal for Duane’s Recovery

Update: Aug 10th

Hi everyone ,

As you all know Duane arrived in Barbados just over 5 weeks ago and since then he has had more blood tests, xrays, CT scans and Drs visits to figure out what’s the best way forward to fix his leg.

When he arrived he had already gone through major surgery for one of the most dangerous and difficult to heal types of fractures a schatzker iv tibal fracture reduced with plates and screws and unfortunately a serious infection post op which required 3 other surgeries to control and prevent sepsis . It would be wrong to say this hasn’t been a very difficult journey to date still he’s gratefull for all of the kindness and concern which has helped him get through one day at a time , hes focusing on the positive of having such a great response from friends and family to make sure he gets the neccesary medical treatment and support .

Still the news we got last week wast good , after 4 months the scans show the badly fractured bone hasnt even started healing , there are gaps of missing bone which cannot be left unbridged as well as bone fragments floating diconnected which creates a chance for the infection to persist and develop in to a long term problem. It’s also because it was not a clean break , the bones shattered and broke into pieces. Where the break is, is complicated to fix according to the dr. He’s also been put on another antibiotic to add to the one he was taking for this last month.

Whats next? Well he has to have two surgeries , one to remove one of the plates clean out the infected parts , bits of shatered bone , pack with antibiotics and take samples from the bone to test for the bacterium .

He will have a back cast on for six weeks. Then the second operation is to take bone from his hip , open the leg , make sure theres no signs of infection and remove any dead bone and prepare the fracture area for the bone grafts and then maybe insert another plate for support .

The magnitude of this is not what we expected . This is overwhelming for the family as there is no quick fix, it could be months to a year before he can walk or put weight on the leg.

Every contribution - whether through GoFundMe or directly will go toward covering Duane’s treatment costs, including his year long therapy, and ongoing care. Your support means more than we can say.

Update: July 3rd

Hi everyone, 

Duane is finally home in Barbados. It was a very emotional reunion as he has not seen his mother in 7 years and we are so thankful he can get the love and hopefully help and care he needs to recover. 

Unfortunately the infection is still there and he is still on antibiotics. We have a nurse coming in every other day to clean and dress the leg. He has seen an orthopedic surgeon and had X-rays and blood tests but the prognosis is not good as the condition of the fracture and the presence of hardware complicate the treatment and has been advised that surgery is required and the hardware has to be removed and rods and pins put in to try to treat the infection and bone grafts to try and heal the broken bones, which up to now after two months have not even begun to heal. As such this procedure can take three months or more to heal if all goes well, however, there is still much uncertainty with this injury and infections in the bone are complicated to treat and can lead to a bad outcome.

So, we are left with important questions and decisions as to what comes next. The costs of these expected treatments will continue to climb and our family plans to offer Duane every opportunity to save and heal his leg going forward. We are not certain yet if it’s best to have the operation here in Barbados or if he will need to go overseas to an orthopedic hospital that deals and specializes with this type of injury and infection to try to save his leg. This is going to be a very long process, and we are just at the beginning of the journey . 

Duane is staying strong and doing his best to be positive. He is also very grateful for all the support showned so far. We thank you for any assistance that you are able to offer so that he can get back to his life he loves, close to nature and to be with his children and granddaughter that mean so much to him. With love and gratitude. 

Jan & family

Dear friends, family, and kind-hearted supporters,

We’re reaching out today on behalf of our beloved Duane, a 49-year-old son, father, and friend who is now facing one of the toughest battles of his life.

Duane has always lived a life close to nature, working as an eco-tourist guide deep in the Rupununi and Amazon rainforest of Guyana. Those who know him know his kind, gentle soul—his love for the land, his commitment to sustainable living, and his joy in sharing the wonders of nature with others. He’s lived simply, humbly, and happily doing what he loves. But life took a sudden and devastating turn on April 25th.

What was supposed to be a short motorcycle ride to attend a family wedding turned into a nightmare. In the remote interior of Guyana, Duane was involved in a serious accident. With no nearby medical facilities, he waited in the heat of the savannahs under a tree while his leg started to swell and become infected and it took over 8 hours to get him to the nearest hospital in Lethem. There, doctors discovered that he had shattered multiple bones in his leg and knee. A week later, things worsened—his leg became infected and he was taken to Georgetown for emergency surgery to fix the shattered bones (knee and lower leg) and then to stop infection from spreading further into the bone or the blood which could have cause sepsis.

Update : he is now on his third surgery to help clear out the infection.

Duane was placed on intravenous antibiotics and is now on a cocktail of other strong antibiotics to try to ensure the infection subsides completely and doesn’t return, but this is a slippery slope and he needs to have one on one care, not only to keep testing his bloods, organs and vitals to ensure the infection is clearing but to also irrigate a very painful and badly infected wound on the outside of the leg.

The conditions for recovery presently in Guyana are not suited to the success of his recovery. And while he remains strong in spirit, the recovery ahead is long and uncertain. Doctors estimate it could take 8 months or more before Duane will be able to walk again and the current infection is threatening his potential to make a full recovery. He will need continued medical care, physiotherapy, follow-up visits, and time—time to heal, time to regain strength, and to return to the life he cherishes.

We’re asking for your help to bring Duane home to his mother and family in Barbados, where he can recover with his family by his side. The costs associated with his care, travel, medical treatment, and rehabilitation are growing daily, and our resources have been stretched to the limit and we are now humbly reaching out to our wider community for support.

Your help will go toward:

• Medical and hospital costs

• Flights to bring him home to Barbados

• Rehabilitation and physio

• Ongoing recovery expenses

Duane has always given so much of himself to others. It’s incredibly difficult for him to ask for help—but we know that even the smallest gesture, a donation or a prayer, can make a meaningful difference. No act of kindness is too small. Every bit will help get Duane the care he needs—and bring him home to heal with the love and support of his family.

With love and gratitude,

Duane's mum (Janine Hive)& Family