Hi, my name is George Emory Haines. I am battling a rare medical condition and am reaching out. It has come close to breaking me but I am not prepared to give up yet.

Frankly I am embarrassed about having to

do this and perhaps a little ashamed. I have always strived to be self-sufficient.

But having not been able to work since mid-2019 and having failed to find funds anywhere else-well here I am.

I have two children ( a boy 12 and a daughter 16) who mean everything to me and need a father. I want to return to being fully present, being the father that they need me to be, resuming work and volunteering. I miss being a productive member of society.

I have Pyoderma Gangrenosum. This is a rare and potentially life-threatening disease with a mortality rate of up to 30%. It has resulted in secondary infections which significantly increase the possible mortality rate over the next few years. This has also caused scarring, significant pain, loss of mobility and deep ulcerations.

I am trying to raise $19,000 to pay for the use of a medical grade hyperbaric chamber in Duncan ($150 a session -3 times a week for a number of months), to access private care with a physician in Duncan (an expert on autoimmune disease), to see a specific dermatologist in Vancouver, for topical anesthetic (not covered currently $400 a month), a whole body MRI scan, and associated medical expenses. Of course I don't expect to raise anything like the goal but those are my calculated costs for the next year based on historical and anticipated.

A bit of a background to the situation. I had two careers-more than 30 years-one in restaurants and catering (kind of like The Bear if you have seen that -lol- but on a much larger scale and better organized) and one in Hotels. I resigned from the Hotel Grand Pacific as their Director of Operations in 2016, after 14 years with them (awesome company). My intent then was to focus on other opportunities and on my children.

I have/had always prioritized community work: this included things like distributing food to the homeless, salmon stream restoration, being a Treasurer for a community gardening society, President of a school PAC, outreach work to folks on the street, some board work, etc.,. Started a community based organization to create dialogue about the tent city move-never ever again will I do anything like that!

The condition began to impact me in 2019 but was misdiagnosed. At the beginning of 2020, my world continued to turn upside down following a difficult divorce. I went into the hospital on Valentine's Day weekend that year after having been in excruciating pain for the previous few weeks. I was told soon after that I had a non-healing wound of unknown origin.

Later I was diagnosed with Poly Gangrenosum. It has caused large painful ulcers to develop on the entire back of my neck. And just for fun has become an issue on other parts of the body. Diagnosis and management of it were and are challenging and it isn't easy to treat. The exact cause is unknown, but it is a disorder of the immune system and/or may be triggered by trauma.

The kids and I love/loved to be outdoors doing things like fishing, cycling and hiking. We also give back-lol the kids had no choice in doing salmon stream restoration. I can only do these

things now with great difficulty, in pain, and in small measures-but I still do my best.

As pain permits I do volunteer work for a men's recovery house that provides meals, laundry and showers for the homeless community. I have shown them how to put in a community garden, organized their shopping, etc.,. As well I work with a local organization a few hours a week to try to help keep folks on the street alive.

I love my children beyond measure, and so I continue to fight. I am very driven to BEAT THIS and resume my role as a contributing member of society by returning to work and resuming giving back. I am strong in faith wondering if I can find financial support.

Treatment in a medical-grade Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Tank has been recommended to me by every healthcare professional with whom I have been in contact. It increases the oxygen level in blood, prevents tissue death, helps to heal open wounds and fights infections. It is expensive. There are significant costs also associated with a private care physician, a dermatologist in Vancouver, a full body MRI in Vancouver, topical anesthetic, bandages at times etc., ..as well.

So how can you help?

Please consider donating. Every little bit means a lot. $50 helps with bandages which aren’t always covered. $100 can help towards the costs of travelling to Vancouver to see one of the specialists - (first thing in the morning only) so the night before or float plane, larger amounts can help with HBOT therapy etc.,

I look forward to being able to help someone in similar circumstances in the future.

If you can think of any appropriate place to share this campaign- go for it!

Thanks for your consideration!