Support Krum's Journey to Recovery from a Spinal Cord Injury

Hello, we’re Elitsa and Ivo, proud children of Krum. Our father is the foundation of our family, always leading by example with his kindness, integrity, determination and resilience. He's filled our lives with love, from helping us move across the country to fixing just about anything at home. He’s the beloved caretaker of our pets and a passionate nature enthusiast who finds peace in the quiet forests and is the happiest when spending time on a quiet green trail.

Along with our mom, his partner of over 33 years, he's been on some incredible hikes, from Mont Blanc's high peaks to the vibrant trails of Martinique. He spends his summers tending his garden and cycling through the Quebec hills, and his winters - cross country skiing and snowshoeing.

On March 7th, a regular Thursday morning took a shocking turn. Dad woke up with severe, paralyzing pain in his legs and lost all feeling and movement from the waist down. Doctors quickly figured out he had a spinal stroke, badly damaging his spinal cord between the T9 and T12 vertebrae. This unexpected event took away his independence and has really impacted us as we all adjust to these big changes.

Following his initial hospitalization, Krum was immediately transferred to an inpatient readaptation facility, where he has spent the last two months doing intensive daily physiotherapy and occupational therapy. Initially, Krum was completely paralyzed from the waist down. Since then, some of the muscles are waking up and getting stronger, however, he is still missing most of the sensitivity and proprioception in his legs and hips which are both crucial if he wants to walk again, or even use a walker.

The most crucial recovery happens within the first six months to a year, so we're on the lookout for specialized rehab centers and clinical research opportunities. These kinds of inpatient centers are limited in Canada and can be very expensive in the US, with costs soaring over $300,000USD for an 8-week program.

That’s why we're considering Turkey, which is known for its medical industry. They offer comprehensive care that covers not only the treatments but also meals and hotel accommodations for both the patient and their caregiver. Below, we’ve listed the selected locations and programs we're considering for the next 3-4 months, along with their pricing.

Overseas Rehab in Turkey: We’re planning to continue Dad's recovery with an intensive one-month stay at Romatem Hospital in Bursa, Turkey, which will cost $12,000 USD. After that, he’ll undergo specialized physical therapy at Fizyomer Terapia for an additional $6,000 USD. His program includes not just the stay but also transport to medical facilities, a dedicated caretaker, nutrition planning, and various therapies like electrotherapy, TENS, infrared, hydrotherapy, and VR rehabilitation.

Continuing rehab in Canada: After he gets back, Krum will keep up with his outpatient rehab in Montreal at the NeuroConcept center, which will cost $5,000 CAD for 12 weeks.

Advanced Treatments: We are also exploring cutting-edge but still risky treatments, including stem cell therapy estimated at $ 7,500-20,000 USD and nerve regeneration medications costing upwards of $ 50,000 USD.

House and car readaptation: The range for house and car readaptation is between 10,000USD-20,000USD depending on the need and provider.

All this adds up to more than we can handle on our own, which is why we're asking for your help. Your support will help lessen the financial burden on us and make sure Dad gets the care he needs.

It's difficult for us to plan beyond 3-4 months as nobody can predict what progress he will make, what additional rehab and treatments he will need or what new cutting-edge treatment will become available for everyone to try. What we know is that this will be a long journey, requiring a lot of hard work, patience, determination and most importantly the love and support from everyone.

We'll keep everyone updated on how Dad is doing. Your support means everything to us, and we're so thankful for any help you can give during this tough time.

Thank you for being there for our family.