Needing Help For Medical Equipment

Darren Johansen is organizing this fundraiser.

Donation protected

My name is Darren Johansen I currently live in Campbell River, B.C., where I was born and raised. I am a 41 years old and a father of 4 kids. I used to be a faller and a standing stem logger for Heli-logging. It was a dangerous job. I was in a bad car accident 5 years ago, this changed my life forever. In my single vehicle accident, I broke my neck and now I am a quadriplegic in a wheelchair.

There are many challenges in just living every day and trying to avoid all the complications of my disability.

On of these complications, that is life threatening each time it happens, is pressure sores.

I desperately need a special mattress to help me avoid this. I have already been in hospital 2 times and had 2 surgeries which require me to stay in the hospital for 2 months each time.

The item I need is called a Bariatric low air alternating pressure mattress. It costs about $5000 including taxes.

I am asking for assistance to be able to buy the Air Mattresses to prevent another pressure sore from happening again, and for medical supplies that I desperately need and help to pay some of my bills. My total income to live on and take care of my special needs is $1400 per month.

I am not getting any assistance from the Government because they say I don't qualify because I am receiving more than their requirement for assistance which is $906 per month allowed. So I am having to buy my own supplies. After paying for my rent and other bills I sometimes do not have enough money left to buy groceries. If it were not for my family buying me some food I would be starving.

I am also trying to keep myself busy by working on my computer. I have made a couple of websites huntingforbeginners.com and a lot of videos.

If anyone would like me to make them a video I would be more the happy to make you one and it will help me from being so bored here by myself.

I have tried to pay for all this on my own but living on a fixed income has made this almost impossible. I am a proud man, but with this accident, I have learned that sometimes, it's okay to ask for help. So that is what I'm asking! Please help if you can and if not please share

More information about me

Before my accident, I was a very good tree climber. My uncle had taught me how to log and how to fall tree and how to do this job safely that I did for about 15 years. It was a very physical and very rewarding job. With standing stem logger I got to travel a lot. I was able to travel up and down the coast and even traveled to the States to put on a demonstration show in front of a couple hundred people. They were able to watch and see what it takes to be a standing stem logger.

I had my bad car accident on March 19, 2009. I was traveling on the highway heading to Storey's Creek and I had hit some black ice losing control of my vehicle. The condition of the road was just right for my truck to flipped and landed onto the beach ripping the roof off my truck. The force of the impact was so great that I was thrown out of the truck landing on a log on the beach and breaking my neck and shearing off one of my ears. They were able to reattach it with a new technique using leeches. Considering it was totally ripped off they did a great job on reattaching it. It looks normal unless you take a really good look at it.

I was at Vancouver General Hospital for about 3 months before I was moved to GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre in Vancouver where I stayed for about 10 months and I worked on my strength train and how to deal with my new world.

After GF Strong I took a long way home, going back to Vancouver General Hospital with a case of pneumonia , where I stayed for about 2 months. (In a room about the size of a walk-in closet) I was then transferred to Nanaimo General Hospital where I was able to go outside again by myself :) I was then transferred home to Campbell River Hospital, where I waited for a room to open up at New Horizons Care Home (which is mainly for seniors).

I lived at New Horizons for about 3 years. After getting a bad pressure sore that required surgery to repair I had to go into the hospital again and stay in bed for 6 weeks after the surgery. I then had to give up my bed at New Horizons because I was away for more than 30 days. After I was released from the hospital I moved into Yucalta Lodge, another home mainly for seniors. I was really looking hard for my own apartment to live on my own independently. After a long search, I was able to find an apartment where I am living on my own and where my kids are able to come over and spend the night and weekends with me.