Nick Cankar is funny, intelligent, and has a heart bigger than most. He can talk to anyone…but not now because he had a stroke. It happened on a wakeboarding trip to Mexico City, and he was wakeboarding at the time. His friends saw him let go of the rope, drop to the water and from there they had to rescue him. His stroke affected his brain's left side, which controls speech and right side movement. The doctors say the event was not due to wakeboarding. Unfortunately, Nick cannot communicate and is paralyzed on his right side. He was transported by ambulance to a Mexico City hospital. Within minutes there was a request from the hospital for $12,000 to initiate Nick’s care. In Mexico, you see, medical care is billed directly to the patient. There is no reciprocity agreement with insurance programs in the States, and even so, Nick has no health insurance. Each day the Mexico hospital bill will increase, and this is just the beginning of what is sure to be insurmountable medical bills for him and Brittany, his wife of 9 years. Nick has brain damage; a release date is unknown and even unsafe today. Drugs to decrease swelling and encourage proper blood flow are all they can do for Nick right now. But the best chance for Nick is costly air ambulance transport back to the United States. This alone will cost $37,500. Hopefully, Nick can complete his hospital care at Rush and receive the months of physical and speech therapies through their renowned stroke recovery program. His wife, Brittany, is a teacher and will have to take leave for the rest of the school year, take a break from her second job as a trainer with Burn Boot Camp and, with the help of family, will be by Nick’s side through therapies. The financial implications of his situation run deep.

 

Nick’s passion in life is wakeboarding. He’s an award-winning rider and a coach by trade. Since his early teens, he has shed a positive light on the sport and is well known in the world of wakeboarding. His active physical life is his whole life, and he will no doubt be a fighter in getting it back.

 

He is the son who calls his mom, the husband who loves and laughs, and the friend who can be silly or serious depending on the occasion. He has a soft spot for animals…even plants…his heart becomes mush for anything suffering. He works two jobs in Florida and, as a valet, recently supplied milk to a little girl’s beloved stuffed animal as it waited in a car seat while she dined. She was so afraid it would be lonely. And now there’s no doubt Nick feels lonely…and afraid….unable to communicate his questions and concerns.

 

We tell you about Nick because we want you to know him, understand how deeply we care about him and hope you can help him get through this devastating time. So please think about helping in even a small way and sharing this page in a big way. It could make all the difference for our special guy. Thank you.

Click here for video 

 

Thank You

The Cankar Family

#pickupthepieces