Our mom, Isabelle Lavoie, is 64 years old and truly one of a kind. She was born with congenital hydrocephalus, a condition that, in her era, often meant children didn’t survive past their teens. But Mom defied the odds—her condition stabilized, and she was able to live a full, vibrant, and joyful life. We call her our unicorn, because she is so rare and so special.

Recently, we began noticing changes in her health. After urging doctors to investigate, new scans confirmed what we feared—her hydrocephalus has begun progressing again, causing uncomfortable and difficult symptoms. The incredible neurosurgery team at Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon has determined that she needs urgent surgery within the next month to try to stop the condition from worsening and to relieve her symptoms.

The surgery will require a 3–4 day hospital stay, followed by extensive follow-up appointments, monitoring, and physical therapy. Our dad, Clem, retired early to care for Mom and is making multiple trips to Saskatoon for consultations. During her hospital stay, he will remain by her side. My sister Melissa and I will also travel to help support her during recovery.

Mom is humble, kind, and endlessly positive—often saying the years she’s had are a gift. We want to remove the financial burden of hotels, gas, travel, and lost work so Dad can focus entirely on caring for her.

If you know Mom, you know she has spent her life giving love and joy to others. Now, we’re asking for help to give back to her in her time of need. Every donation, big or small, will help our family focus on what matters most—getting our unicorn back on her feet.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your love, prayers, and support.