Help Justin Overcome Spinal Cord Injury and Rebuild His Life

June 15, 2024, is a day that has irrevocably changed the McLeod family.

Justin (age: 20) while on a weekend getaway in Bromont, Quebec, suffered a life-altering mountain biking accident.

While riding one of the trails, Justin hit an unmarked drop. He didn’t make the gap and landed on his back, resulting in a fractured vertebra despite wearing body armour including back protector. Justin was rushed to Sherbrooke Hospital and immediately to Sacré-Cœur in Montreal, where he underwent emergency spinal surgery. Although the surgery was successful regarding the removal of the bone fragments compressing his spinal cord, the injury has left Justin paralyzed from the chest down.

He was transferred from Montreal only 3 days after surgery and spent 15 days in the Civic Hospital NACU Trauma Unit before arriving at the Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Center on July 2nd. Since his accident, Justin has faced each day with unyielding courage. But the road ahead is long, uncertain, and filled with challenges that most of us cannot even imagine.

This type of spinal cord injury is unpredictable, and the path to recovery varies greatly from person to person. The McLeod’s know that Justin’s recovery will be a long and challenging journey, requiring immense patience and hard work. Despite this, Justin has shown incredible strength and determination.

As an accomplished rider who placed in the top three in several enduro races. Justin’s love for mountain biking has been a defining part of his life. Justin has always been an athlete and excelled at sports. Each winter you'd find him on the ice playing hockey in his backyard rink, with the West End Wolverines in his younger years and as he grew, with the Golden Knights. More recently, winter saw him as a downhill skier. Summers were dedicated to mountain biking, a passion he pursued both as a rider and as a bicycle mechanic at Phat Moose Cycles. His commitment to safety and his skill on the bike were evident to all who know him.

Justin’s spirit remains unbroken. He is determined to walk again. His positivity, strength, and relentless drive to reclaim his life is inspiring and is a testament to his resilience. He is learning new skills, mastering therapies, and pushing through the pain.

However, this journey has come with overwhelming costs. The financial strain on the McLeod family is immense. Justin will be discharged on September 12, 2024, and the expenses are becoming another new reality—construction costs to make his home wheelchair accessible, the purchase of a wheelchair and medical equipment, and accessible transportation are just the beginning. The costs of rehabilitation therapies, crucial for Justin’s recovery, will soon fall entirely on the family’s shoulders. With Jada taking unpaid leave to care for Justin, their family has gone from three incomes to one.

We are reaching out to you, our community, our friends, and anyone who feels moved by Justin’s story. Your support, no matter the amount, can make a world of difference. It can help ease the financial burden on the McLeod family and give Justin the resources he needs to focus on his recovery and rebuild his life.

Justin’s strength and bravery inspire us every day. Let’s come together to show him that he is not alone in this fight. Your generosity can help Justin on his journey to overcome the impossible.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your love, your support, and your belief in Justin’s recovery.

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