Crikey! A Curious Cure for Kiefer's Chronic Pain

Friends, Roamers, Country and City people - lend me your eyes.

You probably can't tell at first, but I’ve been suffering with chronic pain for the last 12 years. I use mobility aids to get around, my joints and muscles ache, and it gets worse each day. New and novel medical procedures and treatments, medications, exercise (and non-exercise) regimens; I’ve tried them all to no relief, but I still greet each day with a grin on my face and power through the pain.

Recently, I was in Australia and something magical happened: for the first time in many years, I had respite from the constant dull aches and sharp pains I accepted as my reality back home in Victoria, BC. I was able to walk without using my cane. I was able to perform basic, every-day tasks like bending down to feed the wallabies at the animal sanctuary, picking up groceries, and comfortably navigating public transportation. Things I couldn’t fathom doing in my everyday life without serious consequences the next day.

After extensive research and consultations with my care team, they were all in agreement: a change in my environment may be my best medicine. There is potential for me to live a life closer to being pain-free, whether it be the stable climate or the abject terror of the possibility of being bitten by a poisonous spider. That’s why I want to explore whether or not this was just a one-off. I have nothing to lose and a normal life to (re)gain.

My goal is to go back to Australia again to find out if it’s a potential path away from my pain and toward a higher quality of life. Getting to the other side of the world isn’t cheap, and I am well aware of this; travel, accommodation, surprise expenses, possible medical issues are just some of the things that may pop up during my stay. But this is the first time I’ve had hope like this, and now I need your help.

Any and all contributions, whether they be financial or sending the link to my campaign along, are humbly and graciously appreciated. I am truly excited about the possibility of living what could be a completely different life -- one where my mental health, physical health, and emotional health are able to be balanced once again.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart (and the hearts of all of my friends that want a place to crash when they visit Australia).

Cheers mate!