When your quality of life depends on it, you will go anywhere, to any lengths, to save it.
I decided to leave the USA in 1998 to do my MBA at Bond University on the Gold Coast. During which time, I chose to live with an Australian family rather than living on campus. Michael and Trudy Johnston opened there home to me and provided a warm and loving family environment. They treated me as their own daughter.
When my father passed away he was only 52 , and my relationship with Michael and Trudy became even stronger. Michael, is only 61 years of age, he is like a father to me and has always been there to support me. Today, I want to help him as much as he has helped me throughout the years.
Michael and Trudy were successful business owners and loved travelling throughout Australia and dining with friends and family. A majority of their time was spent outdoors walking in the bush or on the gorgeous beaches of Australia. They were both active people and did not do anything out of the ordinary, but were always on the go. However, this all started to change in 1988.
Michael started experiencing excruciating pain in his lower back and buttocks and found it difficult to function. He fought through the pain and did not quit doing his normal deeds. The thing he wanted most was to continue operating his business, travel with his wife Trudy, and one day play with his future grandkids without being in pain.
He seeked out advice from pain specialists and surgeons and was later diagnosed with a rare disease called Anklosing Spondylitis. Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a type of inflammatory arthritis that targets the joints of the spine, particularly the sacroiliac (SI) joint, where the spine attaches to the pelvis and then starts to affect other areas.
With many months of trialling non- surgical procedures his specialist suggested a spinal fusion operation on his lower spine and it was successfully done in 1988. This provided some pain relief until 1998. The disease was progressing to different areas of the spine leading to further surgery in 1998. I met Michael and Trudy shortly after his second surgery.
The second surgery was carried out by a different surgeon and was done imperfectly. The spine was not aligned correctly. His condition worsened, his nerves were damaged, and the pain intensified. The early morning hours and night time were the worse for him. He could not walk for 2 months as his left leg was paralysed. It was agonizing to get dressed, stand in one place, sit, sleep, walk or drive.
Their quality of life started to slip away quickly. They could no longer operate their business, enjoy those long walks together, and accept invitations to dine with friends and family or travel. Michael had to engineer a chair that was comfortable for him to sit in. His chair has been his sanctuary for the past 17 years.
He did not imagine his life being like this at the age of 44. He was determined to find answers and started researching doctors, spinal procedures and solutions within Australia. He was recommended to another doctor in 2008 and underwent his third spinal operation. It failed. Michael was in misery and suffered a fourth operation in 2010.
At this stage Michael’s condition denied him to walk and stand and a morphine pump was implanted for over four months to control his pain until they could find another surgeon to operate on him. He had a bilateral sacroiliac fusion in 2010. Today he can no longer bend, can only sleep on his back, and needs assistance showering and dressing.
As a result of failed surgeries compiled on top of one another, Michael’s spine is out of alignment. It has caused a severe curvature of the spine resulting in very poor breathing . He was medically diagnosed with sleep apnoea. His sleep apnoea causes him to stop breathing on an average of 56.8 times per hour the longest being 90 seconds and any one of these episodes could be fatal. In addition to this Michael has not been able to exercise properly for over 17 years and has now developed type 2 diabetes. With all these complications and disappointments he was going to try one last time to find an answer.
Within this past year Michael finally found a European doctor who used advanced techniques that are not yet in Australia. He was given a guarantee of a 75% success, this had been greater than any Australian doctor in the past 12 years. Unfortunately, the doctors in Australia did not agree with his methods and persecuted him. As a result of this, Michael’s opportunity for a better quality of life was taken away from him and the operation was cancelled. The doctor was told he could no longer practice in Australia and would have to go back to France. Michael fought for this doctor to remain in Australia along with many others and the request was denied. Through Michaels determination this story will now be told on ABC.
This amazing doctor has agreed to operate on Michael in France to improve his quality of life. He has no intention in charging them for the surgery they only need to pay the hospital expenses.
In creating this web page I am hoping to be able to raise funds so they can fly to France to have this life changing operation which will give him his life back. The doctor indicated the cost of hospital fees would be around 45,000 Euro's. Michael and Trudy's insurance cover and medicare will not cover this procedure. They will need a lot of support financially as well as emotional to get through all of this.
They have had a severe loss of wages because of Michael’s physical condition. In addition to this both Michael and Trudy have battled cancer and are both in remission and are living on a disability pension.
If you are able to help my dad in any way possible it is greatly appreciated.
With love and thankfulness,
Alicia Joyce
I decided to leave the USA in 1998 to do my MBA at Bond University on the Gold Coast. During which time, I chose to live with an Australian family rather than living on campus. Michael and Trudy Johnston opened there home to me and provided a warm and loving family environment. They treated me as their own daughter.
When my father passed away he was only 52 , and my relationship with Michael and Trudy became even stronger. Michael, is only 61 years of age, he is like a father to me and has always been there to support me. Today, I want to help him as much as he has helped me throughout the years.
Michael and Trudy were successful business owners and loved travelling throughout Australia and dining with friends and family. A majority of their time was spent outdoors walking in the bush or on the gorgeous beaches of Australia. They were both active people and did not do anything out of the ordinary, but were always on the go. However, this all started to change in 1988.
Michael started experiencing excruciating pain in his lower back and buttocks and found it difficult to function. He fought through the pain and did not quit doing his normal deeds. The thing he wanted most was to continue operating his business, travel with his wife Trudy, and one day play with his future grandkids without being in pain.
He seeked out advice from pain specialists and surgeons and was later diagnosed with a rare disease called Anklosing Spondylitis. Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a type of inflammatory arthritis that targets the joints of the spine, particularly the sacroiliac (SI) joint, where the spine attaches to the pelvis and then starts to affect other areas.
With many months of trialling non- surgical procedures his specialist suggested a spinal fusion operation on his lower spine and it was successfully done in 1988. This provided some pain relief until 1998. The disease was progressing to different areas of the spine leading to further surgery in 1998. I met Michael and Trudy shortly after his second surgery.
The second surgery was carried out by a different surgeon and was done imperfectly. The spine was not aligned correctly. His condition worsened, his nerves were damaged, and the pain intensified. The early morning hours and night time were the worse for him. He could not walk for 2 months as his left leg was paralysed. It was agonizing to get dressed, stand in one place, sit, sleep, walk or drive.
Their quality of life started to slip away quickly. They could no longer operate their business, enjoy those long walks together, and accept invitations to dine with friends and family or travel. Michael had to engineer a chair that was comfortable for him to sit in. His chair has been his sanctuary for the past 17 years.
He did not imagine his life being like this at the age of 44. He was determined to find answers and started researching doctors, spinal procedures and solutions within Australia. He was recommended to another doctor in 2008 and underwent his third spinal operation. It failed. Michael was in misery and suffered a fourth operation in 2010.
At this stage Michael’s condition denied him to walk and stand and a morphine pump was implanted for over four months to control his pain until they could find another surgeon to operate on him. He had a bilateral sacroiliac fusion in 2010. Today he can no longer bend, can only sleep on his back, and needs assistance showering and dressing.
As a result of failed surgeries compiled on top of one another, Michael’s spine is out of alignment. It has caused a severe curvature of the spine resulting in very poor breathing . He was medically diagnosed with sleep apnoea. His sleep apnoea causes him to stop breathing on an average of 56.8 times per hour the longest being 90 seconds and any one of these episodes could be fatal. In addition to this Michael has not been able to exercise properly for over 17 years and has now developed type 2 diabetes. With all these complications and disappointments he was going to try one last time to find an answer.
Within this past year Michael finally found a European doctor who used advanced techniques that are not yet in Australia. He was given a guarantee of a 75% success, this had been greater than any Australian doctor in the past 12 years. Unfortunately, the doctors in Australia did not agree with his methods and persecuted him. As a result of this, Michael’s opportunity for a better quality of life was taken away from him and the operation was cancelled. The doctor was told he could no longer practice in Australia and would have to go back to France. Michael fought for this doctor to remain in Australia along with many others and the request was denied. Through Michaels determination this story will now be told on ABC.
This amazing doctor has agreed to operate on Michael in France to improve his quality of life. He has no intention in charging them for the surgery they only need to pay the hospital expenses.
In creating this web page I am hoping to be able to raise funds so they can fly to France to have this life changing operation which will give him his life back. The doctor indicated the cost of hospital fees would be around 45,000 Euro's. Michael and Trudy's insurance cover and medicare will not cover this procedure. They will need a lot of support financially as well as emotional to get through all of this.
They have had a severe loss of wages because of Michael’s physical condition. In addition to this both Michael and Trudy have battled cancer and are both in remission and are living on a disability pension.
If you are able to help my dad in any way possible it is greatly appreciated.
With love and thankfulness,
Alicia Joyce