Help Sarah Heal After Emergency Spine Surgery Abroad

Hi everyone,

My name is Sarah, and I’m a therapist, dancer, and someone who’s always poured my heart into supporting others. I’m reaching out during a very vulnerable time in my life to ask for help — something that’s not easy, but deeply necessary right now.

At the beginning of this year, I decided to travel abroad to Spain and work remotely to continue my dance training in bachata, something that fills me with purpose, passion, and connection. I had been cleared by multiple doctors back home to return to movement after dealing with a persistent spinal disc issue, and I felt strong — even dancing again during my first couple of weeks here.

But by the end of the third week, everything crumbled. I suddenly found myself completely immobile and unable to walk, which continued for over a month.

I explored every holistic approach available to me, including a 7-day fast to reduce inflammation, rest my nervous system, and support healing. I experienced some improvement, but the nerve pain and immobility only intensified. At this point, I was completely unable to live a functional life, fully dependent on others to care for me. Eventually, I went to the ER and was referred to a specialist, where an X-ray and MRI revealed the development of scoliosis and a severe disc extrusion that completely filled my spinal canal, compressing my spinal cord — I was admitted to the hospital for urgent surgery.

The surgeons informed me that my case was extremely severe and urgent, and had I waited any longer, the nerve compression could have resulted in permanent paralysis. I underwent urgent spinal surgery this past Friday, April 11th, in Barcelona to remove the disc and decompress the nerve.

While I’m recovering slowly, I’ve lost partial function and sensation in my left foot, which has not yet returned, and I’ve had to pause my entire remote therapy practice and source of income. I’ve been living abroad through this entire process, navigating it as gracefully as I can despite language barriers and lack of a support system.

While my travel medical insurance covered some diagnostic and consult costs, they refused to cover the surgery itself, leaving me with an out-of-pocket bill of $8,100 USD.

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I’m asking for support to help cover:

• Surgery costs here in Spain

• Basic living expenses during this recovery phase, while I’m unable to work

If you feel moved to donate — even a small amount — it would mean the world. Every contribution or share helps me navigate this unexpected chapter with a little more ease, dignity, and support.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you. I look forward to the day I can return to my work and dancing — not only healed, but renewed in gratitude and strength.

With love and deep thanks,

Sarah Drake