Please help Chad on his long road to recovery

My step son Chad has battled with his back on and off for the last four years. If you know Chad well, you know he can often be found on the floor stretching his back to try and get reprieve from his pain. During his most recent flare up with his back, Chad experienced a rare and serious complication. His lower back disc herniation was severe enough to begin compressing his spinal cord, which is called Cauna Equina Syndrome (CES). After 3 separate emergency visits late last week, Chad finally received the MRI on Saturday, May 11 that confirmed the diagnosis of CES requiring emergency surgery to decompress his spinal cord. Within a few hours he was on an air ambulance flight to Vancouver General and within another few hours was under the knife for a Lumbar Laminectomy. Big shout out to Dr. Tamir Ailon and the spinal surgery team at VGH who performed the surgery overnight to prevent further damage to Chad's spinal cord.

He has since been in recovery in the spinal unit at VGH, and seeing improvements in his pain and mobility every day since. Although Chad is close to being discharged, it will take a little longer before he is ready to travel home to Prince George. Any and all contributions will help Chad, Talia and their son JoJo with accomodation and flight expenses incurred during his care and recovery in Vancouver and return to Prince George.

On behalf of Chad, Talia and JoJo, thank you for the outpouring of kindness and support everyone has expressed over the last week. It means the world to them to have been able to be together as a family during this time.

Thank you, thank you, thank you ❤️