Hello, my name is Emily and I’m starting this gofundme for a very close friend and coworker of mine, Forest.

In January, Forest was admitted to Parkview Hospital for some extremely concerning symptoms that made him unable to walk. He was experiencing numbness spreading from his left leg up into his abdomen and underwent many tests to try and determine the cause of his symptoms. After a week of being hospitalized, he was discharged without answers and told to follow up with a specialist.

Earlier this week, Forest had to return to the ER because the numbness had spread to both of his legs, from his feet up to his chest. He is currently admitted to OSU Wexner Medical Center, where he has an amazing group of Neurologists working with him. They have diagnosed him with Transverse Myelitis and Diabetic Neuropathy. Both diagnoses are treatable, however, recovery timelines differ from person to person (anywhere from a few weeks to 6+ months). On top of that, “flare-ups” are very likely to occur in the future, even after he has recovered.

As I write this, Forest is still completely numb from his chest down and there are no plans or timeframe for his discharge from OSU.

Anyone who knows Forest knows how big of a heart he has for other people. Forest is always lending a helping hand to others, and I wanted to give our community the opportunity to offer the same helping hand to him. Forest has been off of work for the last month and won’t be able to return until he has fully recovered and has regained the ability to walk.

On top of being off of work, he will also be left with medical bills from his hospital stays and ongoing treatment. Any donations would be greatly appreciated and would allow Forest to recover without having to worry about his finances.

Thank you for reading and your consideration in donating to this fund. If you’re unable to donate financially, I ask that you please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.