Dear friends and family,

Over the past couple of years, my brother, Lou Konyha, has been battling serious spinal issues. He suffers from severe lumbar spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, synovial cysts, lumbar arthralgia, and lumbar radiculopathy. These conditions have only worsened since his spinal fusion surgery in 2022. Lou is struggling to walk, bend, climb stairs, and maintain balance (he has lost balance while walking and has fallen, causing more pain and damage to his back). He is in extreme pain daily with numbness in his extremities. Doctors who have looked at his MRI’s have told him that he may already have permanent spinal cord damage. They further warn he could be faced with paralysis if surgery is not done soon.

Lou will need multiple extensive surgeries in which his first neurosurgeon recommends the entire spine to be fused. Lou sought another opinion from neurosurgeon Dr. Jared Ament, MD, MPH who is a leading specialist in the US who performs TOPS (Total Posterior Spine Surgery) which preserves range of motion, optimum decompression, and pain relief without doing spinal fusions (TOPS has a 95% success rate with daily function improvement vs. 79% with fusion surgery).

Unfortunately, although TOPS is FDA approved, it is not covered by any insurance. Lou would have to pay the full amount out of pocket which is approximately $60,000. This is an unexpected financial burden which is impossible for him to attain on his own, especially since his doctor advised he no longer work as a General Contractor as there is an associated risk of these issues worsening at a much faster rate. I am humbly asking for your financial support to help pay for this surgery which will allow him to regain some of his ability to live an active life as well as allow him to focus on his life ministering at church, to those in recovery, and to the homeless.

I generously thank you for taking the time to read Lou’s story and ask you to please consider supporting him financially. If you cannot, I ask that you share his story. Your kindness, generosity, and support during this challenging time means more than I can express in words. Please keep Lou in your thoughts and prayers and God bless you. I know God is with Lou and I’m trusting Him to get Lou through this difficult time.

Kathy Summers