Support Justin James Christie's Spinal Injury Procedure

Hi there. My name is Miranda Pasick, I am Justin's wife and partner, and I am launching this campaign to fundraise for a last resort, non-invasive procedure for his herniated and 'leaky' L4/L5 & L5/S1 discs. As a golf professional and passionate player, for Justin to not swing a club or walk without pain for the past 2.5 years, the fallout has been substantial.

Justin was sent home from work on October 30, 2021 due to debilitating pain and an inability to walk or perform his job as a lead club fitter. His symptoms continued to worsen leading up to his brief hospitalization in January 2022. He was provided no access to surgery or further emergency room assistance due to COVID-19 restrictions, and told to 'walk it off' by the attending nurse. Since this time, Justin has remained off work, been on multiple pain and nerve medications, had 6 MRI's all confirming herniations, unwavering adherence to physical therapy rehabilitation, 13 epidurals, and continues to exhaust any potential assistance possibilities. His discs have re-herniated several times since 2022 resulting in further deterioration of his quality of life; unable to drive, concentrate, assist with chores, or put on his own socks. If you picture yourself in these shoes, what would you do?

As some of you may know, Justin has worked in the Golf industry since 2000, and has developed and grown as a knowledgeable professional at several facilities. He is a member of the CPGA, worked at the prestigious St. George's Golf and Country Club, as well as Weston Golf and Country Club, and assisted in bringing Modern Golf to the forefront in custom club fitting in Mississauga. To recognize his skillset further, he got his first hole-in-one at St. George's in 2011, and this massive accomplishment is still discussed with his friends that witnessed it. I am assuming the industry felt an impact from my husband over his career, and has since experienced a loss in his absence.

The non-invasive procedure Justin is pursuing is called Discseel, created by Dr. Kevin Pauza. This procedure has recently been approved by Health Canada, but is still only available in the US due to the obstacles of manufacturing or cross-boarder regulations of the biologic ‘Fibrin’. The procedure is approximately $30,000CAD with exchange, which is unfortunately beyond our financial reach. We have been paying out-of-pocked for continued physiotherapy and trauma therapy, while Justin also undergoes transforminal lumbar epidural steroid injections, wait lists, nerve tests, additional mental health therapy, all with daily pain and few signs of full recovery. Any support you can provide to help Justin obtain this procedure will give him an opportunity to return to the industry he thrives in. I would be forever grateful to get a painless Justin back in my world.

Much love to you all,

Miranda