Hey all, my name is Joe Bubenik and I am looking to help raise some support for my brother Bill (or Billy to me, but he’s a full grown man now so only his older brother can call him Billy). Billy has suffered from degenerative disc disease, stenosis and arthritis in his spine for a couple decades now. His first surgery was at 17 and 22 he had to have another because a disc extruded inside his spine and crushed the nerve cluster there - resulting in lost feeling in his midsection at that point. But he is resilient and has been able to function somewhat normally ever since.

In the middle of October 2024, Billy began experiencing tremendous pain in his back and down his left leg. He sought medical help but was told there was not much to be done. At the beginning of November, he began to lose the use of his left leg.

After a few weeks of agony and continual loss of mobility in his left leg, he was able to go into surgery on November 26th. He had 4 herniated discs that had once again put pressure on his spinal cord. He had a transverse interbody fusion surgery. When he woke up, he couldn't feel his feet due to swelling and inflammation. Billy spent the next few nights in the hospital, recuperating and working to be able to move on his own again.

On November 29th, Billy was moved to a rehabilitation clinic where he is building strength and working to care for himself well. He will likely be there until December 17th.

On top of all of this pain and suffering, Billy has been away from his wife and 3 young daughters for quite some time. His wife Calen is a stay-at-home-mom and it is a lot of stress to have your husband gone and in so much pain.

I am seeking to raise funds to help him support his family as he has not been able to work for a while now due to pain and then recuperation. I am anticipating some medical costs as well.

Thanks for considering helping my brother and his family through this difficult time.