
Matt & Virginia Gorgerat’s Recovery Fund
Donation protected
In January of 2023 Matt went in for a routine knee scope. He walked into the procedure expecting a week-long recovery. He hasn’t walked unassisted since that day.
2023 was going to be the year where Matt and Virginia finally started to see the fruits from years and years of hard work and planning. Their 2023 plans included building their off-grid homestead with their own hands (their legacy) and settling their family into their new home. All of that has been halted/stalled due to the outcomes of this ‘routine’ procedure.
It has been an extremely trying time for the Gorgerat family since Matt’s botched surgery. During this time there were several other complications including internal bleeding, blood clots, and what looked like a stress-induced heart attack. Many months and several MRI’s, EMG & NCS later, Matt and Virginia got the heartbreaking official diagnosis that it was in fact femoral nerve denervation. In plain English, this means that the torniquet used for the scope may have caused the femoral nerve (the largest nerve in our body, and that which controls knee movement) to be pinched off, leaving it inactive and ‘dead’. This means that he cannot move his quad muscles from his hip to his knee.
Matt has now had a second surgery to try to rebuild his quad. The operation took 6 hours for 2 specialist to remove his gracilis and obturator nerve, rotating them to his rectus femorus location in an attempt to “make” a new quad. The prognosis based off a similar previous surgery is that Matt will hopefully be able to eventually walk with the assistance of an expensive robotic knee brace. He will likely not be able to walk upstairs or climb a ladder ever again. As you can imagine, trips to Winnipeg and physio appointments in Brandon have gotten extensive. Doctors are now anticipating he will need an expensive robotic knee brace in order to function, which is not a device that will be covered by Manitoba Health.
This has shaken their lives significantly. Matt was laid off from his Construction Foreman job due to not being able to fulfil his duties, forcing him to go onto Long Term Disability which has resulted in a 40% income reduction. One of the reasons Matt and Virginia were striving towards an off-grid homestead is because they desired to live sustainably and independently without support or assistance. Having to accept help and assistance has been an extremely hard pill to swallow after their dreams of living independently.
Between driving Matt to endless appointments, Virgina’s work entails the big job of caring for their extensive homestead animals (which thankfully provide a large portion of their food) as well as homeschooling their wonderful children. If you follow Virginia on social media you would never know they are going through such a trying time. They work so hard to continue to live a beautiful and positive life. Despite their efforts, as their friends, we know that some help and assistance is needed. They have worked so hard to build their homestead. Virgina now works double-time to continue to give their children a beautiful life and Matt pitches in where he can, but often feels frustrated that he cannot physically do more.
This past year has been incredibly challenging to not only see their livelihood dissolve and Matt’s health disintegrating but also their dream home plans (which was already started) stand still. Their build site currently consists of a cement pad (poured last fall) and stacks of supplies which Matt is unable to do anything with. Virginia has built her beautiful vegetable garden at their new homesite with the optimism that someday she will be able to walk out her backdoor to her garden. The plan was to build it themselves, and the funds are not there to contract it out. So there it sits. Matt and Virginia have chosen a life that would be mean they need to be physically fit and they are currently pondering if that dream will ever be a reality. We all have a legacy that we want to leave in our lifetime and Matt’s dream was to build his home with his own two hands. Being unable to physically and financially fulfill this dream has been a huge blow.
We are seeking financial and physical support to get them through the winter and the hopes that they can feel enough financial security to continue to move forward with their lives until they can get to a ‘new normal’.
Most urgently, they do not have enough wood split to heat their temporary home this winter. Additionally, there is a high chance that the cement that was poured already will crack this winter if not properly framed and supported. They also have all of the supplies to build a greenhouse to further support their dreams, however need physical support to complete this project.
Any and all help is so appreciated. We have started a facebook group for progress updates as well as when there are future House-Raising projects planned. The first, most crucial project is having a group to help block and split wood as well as framing the main floor of their home before the snow falls to protect and not lose the cement that has already been laid, as well as a smaller project of helping to build a greenhouse. Most supplies have been purchased already for these projects, so we need physical help to accomplish these projects.
There will also be legal fees, and other medical cost such as the robotic knee brace. If any settlement does come through it can take upward of 5 years. Our friends can’t put their life on hold for 5 years.
How can you help?
1) Donate funds to support Matt’s medical journey costs
2) Donate time and physical labour: a facebook page has been set up to organize home-raising days with the priorities being getting the first floor framed, wood blocking & splitting as well as a greenhouse construction.
3) Donate firewood and building supplies: Please reach out if there are supplies you have that could be used for their build.
Please communicate your availability and follow their story through the facebook group. (https://www.facebook.com/groups/619298083662585/ )
Thank you for your contribution (in whatever way you can) to this family’s future!
Organizer and beneficiary

Laura Flikweert
Organizer
Brandon, MB
Virginia Gorgerat
Beneficiary