Don Payne's Road to Recovery

As friends of Don & Lisa Payne, we have set up this appeal to help them bounce back from the misfortunes that have recently befallen them.

It has been a heck of a time recently for Don and Lisa. Don fell and broke his left wrist on July 14th and had to lay off work until September 14th. He finally recovered from that and on his first day back to work, after securing the load, he took a fall off the trailer, shattering his pelvis and hip area. He also shattered the bones in his recently healed wrist.

He is the owner/operator of his truck, and like most self-employed people, doesn’t have the type of long-term benefits that will cover the real expenses of these injuries. With being off work for 2 months with the original injury it had depleted their savings and he was looking forward to returning to work and getting things back on track.

After the fall he was taken to Exeter Hospital and then transferred immediately to the hospital in London for surgery & the start of his recovery journey. He has recently been transferred to a hospital closer to home and will continue his healing there for the time being before finally being able to return home for rehab and recovery – he stands to be off work, if there are no complications, for approximately four to six months.

Lisa has a progressive degenerative disease that affects her mobility & overall strength. She wears leg braces and at this time uses a walker for mobility but will be reliant on a wheelchair in the future. She doesn't drive which leaves Don as not only the major provider for their household but her main support in their lives together. With him being in hospital she has to depend on friends and relatives to get her to the hospital to see him, or even to just pick up groceries for her.

It's been a lot as you can imagine but this turn of events has not made either of them angry or bitter, in fact they are the most thankful and appreciative people we have ever met. Don & Lisa are a lovely couple and are always willing to help others when they can.

What do they need? They are going to have to make some changes to their house – to meet both of their needs. There are medical expenses not covered by OHIP, travel expenses back and forth to the hospital, and assistance with their regular expenses – food, mortgage, and so on. Would they ask themselves? Probably not. That’s why we are asking for them.

You can help. We have all had times when we needed a hand up (not a hand out). All donations will be truly appreciated and will go directly to their expenses.

We thank you … and hope you will join us in showing Don and Lisa that hard times can bring out the best in those around you.

Sincerely,

Susan McDonald & Linda Murray