Help Glenn Maxwell Purchase an Oxygen Concentrator

Hi, my name is Elizabeth and I have started this fundraising campaign for my ex-neighbour, friend, and "Bro", Glenn Maxwell.

Many of you know Glenn from his years living and working in Flin Flon. When Glenn was born, he was diagnosed with a severe case of Scoliosis, which meant that when he was 15, with the financial support of the Lions Club, he was sent for spinal surgery in Minneapolis to have metal rods inserted into his spine. For those of you who know Glenn, you will agree he never let his diagnosis of Scoliosis stop him from enjoying life to the fullest. He owned a motorcycle and toured many times throughout the USA, went side-by-siding with his bright yellow CanAm, and went to work faithfully at his jobs at KleenAll, as a taxi driver, and at Hudbay.

In 2016, Glenn, a born and raised Flin Flonner, was diagnosed with congenital heart failure and, unfortunately, his condition has been slowly worsening over the years. In 2020 Glenn made the difficult decision to leave Flin Flon and move to Winnipeg so he could be closer to his cardiologist and other specialist doctors to obtain, he hoped, better health care. He sold his belongings, including his home located on the Saskatchewan side of Flin Flon and his "toys" and then he and his family left for Winnipeg and moved in with his father, a recent widower.

There was, unfortunately, an unexpected problem/issue that came out of Glenn's move to Winnipeg from the Saskatchewan side of Flin Flon. After Glenn arrived in Winnipeg he was advised by Manitoba Health that they do not cover the cost of oxygen tanks like Saskatchewan Health does and this means Glenn must pay out-of-pocket for his oxygen when he leaves his home (Note that Glenn has an oxygen concentrator that is not portable for when he is at home). Glenn has advised that a trip to his doctor can take four or more oxygen tanks and, since each tank is $25, a single trip of a couple of hours can mean a financial output of $100 to $200. After discussions with Manitoba Health, Glenn decided it would be more cost effective to rent a portable oxygen concentrator (with spare battery) at a cost of $450/month. Manitoba Health has set Glenn's deductible at $8,000/year so it is unlikely he will ever get to the place where he’s not paying the monthly rental fee and his Blue Cross coverage does not cover tanks nor a portable oxygen concentrator.

Because Glenn’s income has been severely cut due to living on a disability income, the time has come that he can no longer afford the rental cost of the portable oxygen concentrator and CareicaHealth (the provider) has advised they will be coming and picking up the machine he is currently renting. If Glenn loses his machine it will have a devastating impact as he will no longer be able to leave his home – not for any reason including visiting his doctors.

The solution to this medical crisis is to purchase his own portable oxygen concentrator. The make and model is the exact same as shown in the photograph of Glenn with his children. The cost of a machine is $3,950 (there are no taxes.) With an extra battery at $650 (you don’t want to be out and about and have your battery fail!) and GoFundMe costs of 2.9% and $0.30 per transaction, we are looking to fundraise $5,000.

If you can find it in your heart to help Glenn with this huge purchase, your generosity will be forever appreciated.

Below is the quote from CareicaHealth on the the cost of the portable oxygen concentrator: