Hi, my name is Ravi Bhaskar and I am fundraising for my manager, Carl De Souza. Carl is only 45 and seemed to be in great physical and mental health but all that changed just before Christmas 2022. Carl was diagnosed with Stage 4 stomach cancer and his prognosis is unfortunately dire, with palliative treatment being the first option the doctors offered.

That said, Carl is not going down without a fight. He is looking at all options to extend his life, even looking at some newer, riskier medical options. And he has every reason to fight. Carl has a very tight-knit family - his aging parents, his siblings and at the very centre of his universe, his wife Amanda, boys Liam, soon to be 14 and Owen, 13.

I've only known Carl for a year, but to me, he is a model family-man and a model-dad, probably Dad-of-the-year many times over. Everything he did revolved around his kids – hockey, baseball, golf, video-games, Disney-vacations... When they were younger, he put them in daycare in his office building so he could ride with them across the city and be close to them even as he worked. He detests work-trips as it takes him away from family. He makes made-to-order eggs for his boys every day. Even his investments were around his kids – where he wanted to give them the best in everything at the cost of his own retirement. For example, he wanted to build a twin-house with a connected basement so later in life, his 2 kids could live in their houses with him and Amanda living in the basement, just so he could be close to them.

But for now, all that Carl wants is more years with is family, so he could at least see his kids graduate. And it’s our endevour to give Carl a shot at this altered, but realistic dream. The aggressive treatment Carl is undertaking even has a potential of a cure. But in the meantime, there is the worry that life insurance won’t compensate for his potential loss of earnings and while healthcare is free in Canada, it doesn’t cover all costs of care. For example Carl has to go to Calgary for specialized treatment. So airfare, stay, living expenses for him and his caregivers for months will have to come out of his pocket. Also, Carl wants to do genetic testing to ensure his kids are protected against cancer if this were genetic and this also costs around $5K which is not covered by OHIP. And there will be other unforeseen expenses as well.

Please contribute so we could ensure our friend Carl can fight his fight without having to worry about finances as much. Thank you!!!