Jason Scott’s Spinal Cord Injury - Help fund costs

Hi everyone,

 

I am creating this GOFUNDME for my son Jason who will be in need of funding to manage multiple financial obligations due to his recent health situation. I have set the goal at $75,000 but am not sure if that is too little. To be honest, we initially assumed that a lot of the cost that he will have to incur to make his home accessible would be subsidized or covered through government programs or private health benefits. We are sadly mistaken and thus I am starting this campaign on his behalf..with him as beneficiary of funds. To be clear, any donations will go directly to him and be managed directly through him.

 

What happened:

Jason was experiencing back pain in August 2021 which gradually increased in intensity. He attended an MRI appointment in Hamilton Ontario at the beginning of September 2021 where it was uncovered that there was a mass that was growing and compressing his spinal cord. With this information, we were blessed that the Oncologist at Princess Margaret Hospital agreed to see him on an emergency basis. On September 14th we attended Princess Margaret Hospital and met with Oncology, Radiotherapy and a General Surgeon. To make a long story short, the news was not positive. He had a Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumour (MPNST) which is a very rare cancer and we were told that Jason would likely never walk again if they COULD operate to remove it. We were referred to a spinal surgeon the next day and they indicated that they could likely remove the tumour without sacrificing his mobility. Jason agreed to proceed with surgery to remove the tumour.

Jason's surgery was on September 24, 2021 and from all accounts post surgery, things were going well. He left the Hospital on October 5, 2021 and was walking with a cane and with help, was able to walk up and down stairs which to us appeared to indicate that he was recovering well. Over the next 3 days after being home, he started losing mobility in his left leg and we rushed him back up to Toronto Western Hospital and he was re-admitted. A CT scan revealed that a new tumour (MPNST) had grown and had compressed his spinal cord..AGAIN! Within a day of being re-admitted, he became paralyzed from the waist down. He was transferred to Princess Margaret Cancer Hospital for aggressive radiation therapy and spent 54 days there. He was transferred to Toronto Rehab Lyndhurst on December 2, 2021 and will be admitted there until around February 10, 2022 undergoing rehabilitation programs to learn how to adjust to his new reality of life in a wheelchair. He has been diagnosed with an incomplete spinal cord injury.

 

Plans for any funds raised:

We are still in the planning stages for costs relating to home renovations for his house in order for him to live there independently however we do know that he will need kitchen modifications, stair lifts for getting his wheelchair up the stairs in his multi level home and to gain entry to his home, ramps, potential bathroom modifications, relocating a bedroom, laundry room and full bathroom on the main level etc. which would require an addition onto his house. He may have to consider whether selling his current home makes more sense and complete any modifications at a new residence to make it accessible. At this point, we simply do not know what the best option is but regardless, he does not qualify for any Federal or Provincial Funding options relative to these necessary modifications. Should he be able to drive in the future, he will also have to modify his vehicle to make it accessible. While he does currently have health insurance benefits from his employer, it does not cover many of the items he will require and he will be out of pocket for a portion of the costs for items that are covered.

 

We aren’t and never have been comfortable to have to reach out like this. Your generosity means so much to us as a family. Jason is one of the strongest human beings I know. He is fighting his cancer like a warrior and working extremely hard at the rehabilitation centre to learn how to continue to live his BEST life. He has been through so much in such a short period of time but always seems to find the positive in the situation and you will always see him with a smile.

 

Thank you for your consideration in your donation and for keeping him in your thoughts and prayers.

 

Lesley Scott