Support Mayank's Fight Against Transverse Myelitis

Hi, my name is Caitlyn, and I’m starting a fundraiser for my partner, Mayank. Many of our friends and family know we were vacationing in Florida with my parents, Craig and Sharon, enjoying a break after exams. On our last day, just an hour before our drive home, Mayank was rushed to the hospital with bladder retention and numbness and loss of sensation below his abdomen. An MRI revealed lesions on his cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. Fortunately, his brain was clear, and we’re incredibly thankful for that!

Mayank underwent many tests and procedures over the subsequent few days including 8 rounds of plasmapheresis where they filter his blood, a lumbar puncture, a procedure where they put a large catheter in his jugular vein, and many blown IV's which resulted in him getting a midline. He also has to get blood test pricks (everyday at 5am?!), X-rays, ultrasounds ... the works.

Mayank has been diagnosed with transverse myelitis, a rare neurological disorder that affects about 1 in a million people. This condition disrupts the signals sent by the spinal cord nerves throughout the body. Although the cause is still unknown, his medical team is diligently working to uncover it. Currently, Mayank is partially paralyzed from the abdomen down, affecting his legs, bladder and bowels. He can move his toes and flex his feet but has no feeling in his legs right now and cannot weight bear or lift them. He will eventually need to relearn how to walk. On the brighter side, Mayank's arms and hands are improving, and he has good mobility there, though he's been facing some challenges with blood clotting that affects arm movement.

Currently, he is receiving care at South Shore Hospital in Sun City, Florida, where we will stay for the foreseeable future as he cannot yet be transferred to a Canadian hospital. We're grateful that he has a dedicated team of healthcare professionals—including a neurologist, infectious disease doctor, GI specialist, hospitalist, physician assistants, occupational and physical therapists, technicians, and of course our ROCKSTAR nurses. Their incredible care and support around the clock have been invaluable during this challenging time.

We have started a GoFundMe to assist with the mounting medical expenses in the US, the travel and time-off costs for his family who are making frequent trips to Florida, and the extensive physical therapy Mayank needs to regain functionality.

As many of you know, Mayank is determined to graduate with a degree in Health Sciences from Queen’s University and pursue a career as a doctor. Despite this obstacle, his passion and spirits are high. We're gaining a real-time medical education here and remain optimistic about his recovery and regaining full functionality in the coming year.

Every donation, even just a dollar, makes a big difference! Mayank and I have turned to downloading movies from the corners of the internet and have even teamed up with the nurses for midnight soda heists when the cafeteria forgets to lock the fridge.

With love and much thanks,

Caitlyn