I'm helping to raise funds for a very dear friend of mine and her family. They have come across very hard times with her husband Bruce declining to the point of being confined to bed before he was able to get the surgery to fix his spine. Here is their story in Kristy's words.

"Many of you will probably know this man, Bruce Blaney. But what you may not know is what he has been going through since September 2025. It started out as little as dropping things or not being able to push down on a spray can, that finally took him to the doctor, which led to seeing a neurosurgeon. Of course, we all know how insurance companies are; they deny this or that until weeks have passed before you finally get in for an MRI. It was not good. His spinal cord was being compressed by three discs in his neck that were bulging and herniated (Cervical Spinal Stenosis). His first surgery, Anterior Cervical Corpectomy, was on October 16th, 2025, and only one disc was able to be replaced through the front of the neck. The surgeon could not get to the other two due to calcification on a main tendon. (Please excuse me, I’m doing my best to describe these procedures.) So, there was another surgery scheduled. The problem was, he had to completely heal from his first surgery before he could have the second, which was finally scheduled for December 30th, 2025. This second surgery consisted of removing vertebrae and replacing them with rods, plates, and screws, Cervical Laminectomy. This surgery was a complete success. But between having his first surgery and second, he declined pretty quickly, his arms, hands, and finally his legs. All due to his spinal cord still being compressed. The last 2 weeks before his final surgery, he could not do much but lay in bed. His wife and son took care of him during this time. It does not take long for your body to start breaking down muscle. January 3rd, 2026, he was moved to an inpatient rehabilitation facility. He will be there for most of January. Once he comes home, there will be medical equipment needed just for his day-to-day activities, plus he will have physical therapy three days a week. He has a long road ahead of him to get back what he lost. The doctor says it could be anywhere from 6 months to 2 years. At this point, we are just hoping there will be no permanent nerve damage. Insurance will not pay for everything and we are down to one income, which will not even cover all the household expenses. We have never asked for help and this is hard for us. We appreciate all the love, thoughts, and prayers everyone has thrown his way!"