Save Shane's Brain Fund
Donation protected
If you ever been in Shane Yap's company he would have made you laugh at least 5 times in the first 30 minutes!
Well, he's not doing so good now and needs your help.
Shane has epilepsy and a brain tumor. He has already had one very painful surgery at the Mater Neuro Science Centre in Brisbane. Travelling to Queensland to see the surgeons at Australia's most progressive epilepsy hospital has caused a massive financial strain on Shane and his family. Shane hasn't been able to work in quite some time. Michelle has used all her available paid leave and will be now taking leave without pay to care for Shane and they don't qualify for any financial support from the Government,
Whilst Shane is back home in Adelaide now with his family, this isn't the end of his surgeries or rehab, more trips to Qld are needed. Michelle and Shane have sold everything of value to keep their heads above water and pay for medication, mounting doctors bills, related expenses for travel and feeding the family. Their home needs urgent repairs to make the house safe for Shane who is very unsteady on his feet.
Shane & Michelle's story is so unfair and the situation is now so desperate they have no option but to ask for your help. Money is needed now if you can please spare a few dollars, to help ease the financial pain. If you can't afford to donate money perhaps there's something else you can do to help, please have a think about it.
Their situation is not going to get better anytime soon.
If you have time please read the following full details of their story.
Shane is a 48 year old father of three children and husband to Michelle, he has been dealing with Epilepsy since he was 40 years old. Shane attended Uni as a young man and to this day can not remember being there. Shane was put on a medical certificate initially for 6 months in 2018 but this has continued with no possibility of a return to work in his current condition.
After a series of debilitating seizures in 2010 resulting in car accidents, Shane was diagnosed with epilepsy and a brain lesion later in 2010. Over the next 2 years, he was put on a battery of specialist tests and trial medication in order to arrest the seizures.
His condition made him unfit to drive - and this dealt a blow to the family Show Car Business and Truck Courier Business - of which he was the key driver. To fund his growing medical bills without income, Shane had to sell his entire fleet of VW show vehicles, truck and rent out his own home.
Things seemed to look up in 2012 when Shane got his seizures under control with medication and had his driving licence returned. He managed to secure a good job, marry and together with Michelle, managed to purchase an old house in Adelaide Hills with the intent to slowly renovate over time and live with their 3 kids.
Unfortunately, in April 2018, the seizures returned with a vengeance - and they were now medication-resistant. The doctors describe it as Progressive and Complex Drug-Resistant Epilepsy with Brain Lesion in the Hippocampus region of the brain by the ear and leading into the back of his head (affecting speech and memory).
As a result, Shane was again deemed medically unfit to work and had his licence revoked. He was told by specialists that he would now require invasive treatment (without which he'd have slim chance of surviving the year without further damage deeming him inoperable), followed by intensive rehabilitation if the operation were successful.
Between December 2018 and now the family have been dealt more blows
• Jan 2019 their eldest sons biological father took his own life. Oliver was living with him to be close to work and now needed to be supported to move home, this was costly as renovations were required to make a room for him to sleep. Oliver spent all of his savings to help with this.
• February 2019 the cat was bitten by a snake, vet bills $1500 are now on a payment plan
• March 2019 Jayde the middle son lost his job as his work place shut down with no warning, leaving him with no income. He is 17 and is not eligible for govt support.
• The day after they left for QLD on the 15th of April 2019 the front gate was left open and their old dog was run over by the neighbour and had to be put to sleep, vet bills over $1700, still not dealt with.
Epilepsy is a progressive disease that never gets better and in Shane's case is worsening very quickly. Shane's epilepsy has progressed to full tonic clonic seizures without medication, and is spreading to multiple places in his brain during seizure activity. He even has breakthrough seizures whilst on medication.
To date, he has undergone many series of tests in SA and 3 series of tests in QLD for the specialist medical intervention required.
The procedure performed just last week in April 2019 involved a SEEG where 17 electrodes were surgically placed deep into Shane's brain. During this procedure Shane was taken off all anti seizure medication and the activity was recorded to determine the exact location of the Epilepsy origin.
In the coming weeks, Shane will undergo a test called a WADA to determine whether the origin the Epilepsy is removable. Post-operation, he will likely experience speech and memory difficulties. At this point in time, Shane is already suffering short term memory, and is struggling with word finding in conversation, day-to-day problem solving and functioning.
The medical, medication, travel, accommodation and food bills have started to mount, and the family now find themselves in dire need of financial assistance to pay for surgery, rehabilitation and requisite modifications to the house so that its safe for someone in his condition to rehabilitate at home with family support. Michelle will likely need to be with him full-time, so their combined loss of income is now compounded with their living costs, medical expenses and upcoming home modification.
Any donations to ease their financial stress will be much appreciated.
Well, he's not doing so good now and needs your help.
Shane has epilepsy and a brain tumor. He has already had one very painful surgery at the Mater Neuro Science Centre in Brisbane. Travelling to Queensland to see the surgeons at Australia's most progressive epilepsy hospital has caused a massive financial strain on Shane and his family. Shane hasn't been able to work in quite some time. Michelle has used all her available paid leave and will be now taking leave without pay to care for Shane and they don't qualify for any financial support from the Government,
Whilst Shane is back home in Adelaide now with his family, this isn't the end of his surgeries or rehab, more trips to Qld are needed. Michelle and Shane have sold everything of value to keep their heads above water and pay for medication, mounting doctors bills, related expenses for travel and feeding the family. Their home needs urgent repairs to make the house safe for Shane who is very unsteady on his feet.
Shane & Michelle's story is so unfair and the situation is now so desperate they have no option but to ask for your help. Money is needed now if you can please spare a few dollars, to help ease the financial pain. If you can't afford to donate money perhaps there's something else you can do to help, please have a think about it.
Their situation is not going to get better anytime soon.
If you have time please read the following full details of their story.
Shane is a 48 year old father of three children and husband to Michelle, he has been dealing with Epilepsy since he was 40 years old. Shane attended Uni as a young man and to this day can not remember being there. Shane was put on a medical certificate initially for 6 months in 2018 but this has continued with no possibility of a return to work in his current condition.
After a series of debilitating seizures in 2010 resulting in car accidents, Shane was diagnosed with epilepsy and a brain lesion later in 2010. Over the next 2 years, he was put on a battery of specialist tests and trial medication in order to arrest the seizures.
His condition made him unfit to drive - and this dealt a blow to the family Show Car Business and Truck Courier Business - of which he was the key driver. To fund his growing medical bills without income, Shane had to sell his entire fleet of VW show vehicles, truck and rent out his own home.
Things seemed to look up in 2012 when Shane got his seizures under control with medication and had his driving licence returned. He managed to secure a good job, marry and together with Michelle, managed to purchase an old house in Adelaide Hills with the intent to slowly renovate over time and live with their 3 kids.
Unfortunately, in April 2018, the seizures returned with a vengeance - and they were now medication-resistant. The doctors describe it as Progressive and Complex Drug-Resistant Epilepsy with Brain Lesion in the Hippocampus region of the brain by the ear and leading into the back of his head (affecting speech and memory).
As a result, Shane was again deemed medically unfit to work and had his licence revoked. He was told by specialists that he would now require invasive treatment (without which he'd have slim chance of surviving the year without further damage deeming him inoperable), followed by intensive rehabilitation if the operation were successful.
Between December 2018 and now the family have been dealt more blows
• Jan 2019 their eldest sons biological father took his own life. Oliver was living with him to be close to work and now needed to be supported to move home, this was costly as renovations were required to make a room for him to sleep. Oliver spent all of his savings to help with this.
• February 2019 the cat was bitten by a snake, vet bills $1500 are now on a payment plan
• March 2019 Jayde the middle son lost his job as his work place shut down with no warning, leaving him with no income. He is 17 and is not eligible for govt support.
• The day after they left for QLD on the 15th of April 2019 the front gate was left open and their old dog was run over by the neighbour and had to be put to sleep, vet bills over $1700, still not dealt with.
Epilepsy is a progressive disease that never gets better and in Shane's case is worsening very quickly. Shane's epilepsy has progressed to full tonic clonic seizures without medication, and is spreading to multiple places in his brain during seizure activity. He even has breakthrough seizures whilst on medication.
To date, he has undergone many series of tests in SA and 3 series of tests in QLD for the specialist medical intervention required.
The procedure performed just last week in April 2019 involved a SEEG where 17 electrodes were surgically placed deep into Shane's brain. During this procedure Shane was taken off all anti seizure medication and the activity was recorded to determine the exact location of the Epilepsy origin.
In the coming weeks, Shane will undergo a test called a WADA to determine whether the origin the Epilepsy is removable. Post-operation, he will likely experience speech and memory difficulties. At this point in time, Shane is already suffering short term memory, and is struggling with word finding in conversation, day-to-day problem solving and functioning.
The medical, medication, travel, accommodation and food bills have started to mount, and the family now find themselves in dire need of financial assistance to pay for surgery, rehabilitation and requisite modifications to the house so that its safe for someone in his condition to rehabilitate at home with family support. Michelle will likely need to be with him full-time, so their combined loss of income is now compounded with their living costs, medical expenses and upcoming home modification.
Any donations to ease their financial stress will be much appreciated.
Organizer and beneficiary
Linda McMath
Organizer
Adelaide SA
Michelle Yap
Beneficiary
