Hello, my names Katrina, I come from a blended family of 5 siblings and with an amazing step DAD. Growing up he shaped me into a lot of traits I am today like being a nurse. Octo was diagnosed in his early 30s with a chronic disease called ‘spinal cerebellum ataxia’ affecting his speech, motor function, balance, coordination and everyday life functions requiring care for just about everything. Unfortunately his mother passed away from complications of this disease in her early 50s and my older step brother unfortunately also has inherited this terrible disease. Growing up I have watched a very significant role model deteriorate before my eyes making me strive to want to help others who can’t help themselves in my nursing role. Unfortunately the end of 2023 we had to make the decision to put him into Long term care as he just wasn’t getting the adequate care he needed while living alone with my mom especially out in the welland region. My parents were managing and just making by with paying the mortgage on the house and the expenses for his LTC but we saw such improvement with his day to day functions as he’s receiving physio, nursing care, 24/7 psw care, doctor care in ltc, and the amazing recreational therapists. Unfortunately we were told that his rent was being increased by 800 dollars extra a month starting July 1 2025 and that exceeds the amount feasibly possible for both payment of the mortgage and LTC and my mom is being forced to either take him out of LTC (she also has her own medical issues and cannot be a soul care provider) and bring him home, or sell the family home. Her being told this now has put them 1600 dollars behind already as July and August the rate has gone up. My siblings and I are trying to come together to also help out with this increased cost but I’m also pleading with the public that ANYTHING helps so we can keep him in LTC for now while we try to come up with other solutions to continue to give him the support he needs. If you cannot contribute financially I get it, I really really do, if you can’t, all I ask is a simple share and I appreciate each and everyone of you who have stayed to read this far.