Help Dan Get His Life Back

TLDR: Dan has been experiencing debilitating pain for the past year. He has been approved for laminectomy surgery in Florida! We need support from our community to make this happen. Our girls need their daddy back, Dan needs his life back! (I want my hubby back. ) For the full story, keep reading!

One year ago, in the fall of 2023, our life was turned upside down. Dan began to experience debilitating pain in his back and legs, which made it extremely difficult for him to work. He pushed through the pain for as long as he could, but at the end of October 2023, he had to stop working. He was bedridden for several months. For a long time, we had a mattress on our living room floor so that he could be present for the kids despite being stuck in bed.

We visited the emergency department more times than we can count. Multiple specialists, tests, etc yielded no answers. Eventually, with a combination of meds and injections, the pain reached a plateau. Still, Dan lived each day in more pain than you or I could imagine. And lately, it’s getting worse. There are days where he can barely get himself dressed. He crumples to the floor crying out in pain. And yet, he pushes through, gets himself dressed, and then carries on with helping the girls get ready for school. He has been so incredibly strong throughout this time, pushing through his pain because life doesn’t stop when things like this happen. He has spent countless hours diving into the black hole that is the internet, searching for answers. He reached out to a hospital in Germany that has performed many successful surgeries for Canadians who could not access or were denied the necessary treatment options here. Despite high hopes and endless prayers, Germany declined to perform surgery.

Being off work, and severely limited in his physical abilities has been extremely hard, not just on Dan, but on our whole family. His mental health has suffered, as he longs to be an active, productive member of this family. His body has aged, his limbs have become stiffer as his muscles are under-used. The girls have suffered watching their beloved Dad live in so much pain, asking heartbreaking questions, showing anxiety about what the future holds for their Dad. My own mental health has also taken a significant hit. I had to take a few months off from work in the spring as I had taken on the task of being his caregiver as well as sole caregiver to the kids. Watching your dearest loved one suffer with debilitating pain and being unable to help has been so devastating. Walking alongside him through the ups and downs of finding a possible solution, to being told no, sitting with him in those hospital waiting rooms, crying in doctor’s offices when they say they can’t help - all of this while trying to keep going, keep smiling, keep taking care of the world’s sweetest girlies. It has been SO HARD. I don’t want to discount the help that we have received. Already we have received financial support, meals, help with the kids, housework, the list goes on… It has been so welcomed and appreciated.

A few weeks ago, Dan learned of a clinic in Florida that offers a surgery that may help him. He sent an inquiry and after taking some time to review his imaging, THEY APPROVED!! The surgery is called a laminectomy and the goal will be to remove a section of his vertebra to open up the space around his discs. This should relieve the pressure on his nerves and therefore reduce (or potentially eliminate) all this pain he has been experiencing. Unfortunately, this is an out of country surgery and that comes with high costs. We will need to pay for out of pocket for the surgery, flights, a place to stay, a rental car, as well as other costs that may arise. So we are coming to you, our village. We need help. We ask that you prayerfully consider supporting us in this endeavour, so that Dan can get back on his feet, back to work, back to being the active husband and Dad that he longs to be.

Throughout our marriage, our wedding text has repeatedly echoed in our minds and hearts as we have faced what someone once described to me as “a lion’s share of challenges.”

Romans 12:12 ~ Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

For more details about the clinic and the surgery: Biospine Institute