Topher's Medical Project

- A Letter from His Best Friend –

  

I might be biased, but Topher is one of the most kind-hearted people you will ever meet in this life. He loves his friends and family and I have honestly seen him bend over backwards for anyone who needs him.  I feel lucky to know him, lucky to have him in my life, and I know you probably feel the same way too. It’s been hard seeing him suffer with daily migraines. It actually breaks my heart. I just don’t understand why this is happening to such an amazing person. If love could have taken his pain away, then he honestly wouldn’t have this hardship, but that isn’t how the world works. I am writing to you, in hopes that can help him out. Below you will read about what he is up to and why he could use our support. He really hates asking for help, Topher is a giver and never a taker. But against his will initially, he agreed to let me put up a support page for him. The costs of his treatments in England is growing and he is struggling to keep up with the cost. If you can help in any way, it would be really appreciated. He is starting to feel a lot better, which makes me so happy that there is hope.  

Much love- Carie

 

 

-  Here is His Journey -



As you know, Topher is in England right now trying to resolve his migraine problem that he has been dealing with for far too long. He left Canada, because doctors here had exhausted all options for him. You probably know he tried everything here; medications, chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, physiotherapy, therapy, osteopath, elimination diets, deviated septum surgery, a blood patch (injecting his own circulated blood into the base of the spine) and other experimental treatments including:Botox, cortisone injections , and Sphenopalatine Ganglion nerve blocks (nerve blocking through his nose).  Since temporarily moving with in with some family in England since February, he has been able to drop his DAILY migraine pain from a 7-10/10 on the pain scale to as low as a 2/10 on a consistent basis, which is really good news. Being lower to sea level and not so many fluctuations in weather and pressure (Chinooks) has been one contributing factor, but the other is the medical support he is receiving there. His family introduced him to the Burghwood Clinic. They specialize in allergy, nutrition and environmental medicine. 

 

The Burghwood Clinic has been doing biological testing to see what nutritional and environmental sensitivities are. They have put him on an extremely strict diet, supplement plan, and de-sensitization injections that he does daily. The treatment plan he is receiving over there isn’t available in Canada, because of this Topher was able to appeal the British Government on the basis of medical grounds and it looks like they are approving him a Humanitarian Rights Visa. Very cool hey?



The one thing Topher is now facing is the cost of treatment he is getting there. Topher has been put on medical leave from both his employer and his doctors, despite him wanting to try and work. Due to his health issues, Topher hasn’t been able to work steadily since 2007 and has been on permanent leave since 2012. When Topher was in Canada, he was able to get about 40% of all his medical treatments and medications covered by Alberta Health Care and private medical insurance. It was a matter of quality of life, so Topher always figured out a way to pay the extra 60% of the costs that weren’t being covered. It was important. He didn’t mind going in the hole financially if it meant he would feel better.

 

But now, the growing costs of his treatment plan in England is increasing , and he isn’t able to get any help from the Alberta Health Care or his private insurance. So everything is 100% out of pocket. He is already paid about $6,000 in costs related to his treatment plan since he is been there living with family, but he still has another $3,000 to go and debt rising from the money he has previously paid.



His Go Fund Me would help cover only some of that cost and allow him to have enough to finish his treatments there, which would include desensitization injections that he can bring back to Canada. What the Burghwood clinic is working on right now is medical and living conditions to be consistent so when he gets back he would be more stable to fight the environmental conditions.

 

In case you are curious, here is the clinic he is receiving treatment from. https://www.burghwoodclinic.co.uk/.   Dr. Econs has been working really hard to make Topher feel better. Topher battled Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia twice. Once and age 5 and then a relapse at age 12, which he received a bone marrow transplant from an older brother. Doctors believe that cancer treatments is why he is battling his migraines now. 

 

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Carie. Thank you for your consideration.