Support for Charles

Hello, my name is Lianne Lamothe. My 25-year-old son, Charles, desperately needs spinal surgery to give him back a life stolen from him by severe and rapidly progressing Idiopathic Scoliosis.

Until recent years, Charles lived for adventure and exploring new things. Since he was a little boy, he was known to be very active and social: snowboarding, skateboarding and being with family. He was always full of laughter, and there was never a dull moment with Charles.

We finally have a glimmer of hope after years of exhaustive research ultimately led us to an Orthopedic specialist in Barcelona, Spain. They offer MIS thoracic fusion surgery that can avoid complete immobility for my son. The airfare, stay, surgery, post-surgery care, and follow-up costs are all VERY EXPENSIVE... Reaching out to you is our only hope of helping Charles regain his quality of life. We are now scheduled for surgery on March 25th 2023

In the past years, we have been on countless waitlists in Quebec & contacted doctors in many other provinces, in both the public and private sectors. No specialists have been able to provide a solution for Charles due to the complexity and severity of his condition. In the meantime, his condition deteriorates daily.

Charles has had Idiopathic Scoliosis since 15 years of age. Idiopathic scoliosis causes the spine to develop an abnormal curve. Over the last few years, his scoliosis has severely worsened, and he desperately needs spinal surgery to slow the progression of this disease and avoid complete immobility.

Due to his debilitating pain, all areas of his life have been affected: he can no longer work, drive, or see family and friends. He only leaves the house for urgent medical appointments, a physical and emotional struggle. In the most recent months, his deformity has become more evident, and his symptoms have evolved progressively: chronic pain, changes with walking, trouble sitting for any length of time, reduced range of motion, cardiovascular problems, anxiety, insomnia, spasms, joint pain, low self-esteem, suicidal thoughts and body dysmorphia. Try to imagine the pain of your spine curving into a double S shape!

What this surgery will do for Charles...

1. When scoliosis deformities worsen and thus require surgery, the surgery should at least prevent the curve from getting any worse.

2. Surgery can often de-rotate the abnormal spinal twisting and correct the lateral curve by about 50% to 70% if the spine still has flexibility. These changes can help the person stand up straighter and reduce the rib hump in the back.

3. For any changes made to the spine’s positioning, the surgeon will also consider overall trunk balance by trying to maintain as much of the spine’s natural front/back (lordosis/kyphosis) curvature while keeping the hips and legs as even as possible.

With your help, we hope to raise enough money so Charles can have this life-changing surgery at The Anadolu Medical Center. With your help, Charles can finally start living a life worth living again.

It's hard for us to ask for help, and we genuinely appreciate any amount!

Charles is no longer the person he once was and is in so much pain he no longer sees his loved ones. “Charles always had this lust for life and would always ask me to go on these adventures with him. Although, when you speak to Charles now, he longer has the lust for life he once had and never leaves the house, he is a completely different person” Words from his step-sister Chelsea.