Help me fund my life-changing Scoliosis Surgery!

Hi, my name is Joshua (aka Ash) Peacock, and I'm reaching out for help to fund surgery for my severe scoliosis. I'm a young barista and artist with many aspirations for life, but as my disease has progressed my world has only become smaller and smaller. With your help, I can turn the corner on my worsening body and begin to see a future beyond disability!

While I’m incredibly grateful for Canada’s universal healthcare system, it’s far from perfect. For many people with scoliosis, including myself, treatment is delayed due to long waitlists, or even denied. This means those of us suffering from this progressive condition are left without care as the disease worsens. You can read one example about the ongoing issues with wait times for scoliosis treatment in BC at this CBC article.

I was diagnosed with scoliosis at 15, by which point my spine already had a 30° curve in one part of my spine and a 20° curve in another. While my doctors initially recommended against surgery, considering my curves to be moderate, I was not given the necessary support to manage the condition non-surgically while further curvature could still have been prevented. As a result, my condition has only become worse over the years. Now, at 25, I am facing a severe case — my curves are now 52° and 45° — and I’ve been stuck on waitlist after waitlist without any relief, and no guarantee of help on the horizon.

Without surgery, my quality of life keeps slipping. I used to be active — running, hiking, kayaking—but now even walking can cause sharp pain. In the two months since I launched this fundraiser, things have gotten worse fast: my ribs have begun rotating into a visible hump, one side of my ribcage is now jutting forward, and the pressure on my spine has become harder to bear. I can’t sit comfortably, I struggle to sleep, and even breathing can hurt. My social life’s taken a hit too — getting out to see friends is harder, and dancing with friends, something I once loved, now leaves me in agony. The physical pain, along with the emotional weight of losing so much of what made my life feel full, has left me living a half-life. Most days I just feel trapped, unable to imagine a future if things keep going the way they are.

Thankfully, after years of dead ends in Canada, I have found a lifeline of hope abroad. Through research and discussions with the Canadian scoliosis community, I discovered Dr. Trobisch, a renowned specialist at Eifelklinik St. Brigida in Simmerath, Germany, who is offering bookings in the coming months (see links to the clinic below!). Obviously, full spinal surgery is a complicated affair, and high quality treatment isn't cheap; the cost of surgery has been quoted to me as roughly $55,000 CAD, including two weeks accommodation. However, it is well worth it for the exceptional care that Dr Trobisch offers which focuses on both halting progression and correcting curvature to the greatest degree possible, benefits I will feel for the rest of my life.

I'm turning to you for support because my condition has impaired my ability to work fully, and I can't afford the surgery on my own. The time and rest required to recover after each shift of working have forced me to seek disability assistance, limiting me to part-time work and making it impossible to save for surgery alone. At 25, I don't want to be relying on the system. I want to regain my health, energy, and my hope, so I can return to working full-time, contribute to my community, and live a fulfilling, social life.

Thanks to kind and generous people like you, we've already managed to raise over $10,000. The next milestone is set at $20,000; we still have a ways to go to fund my surgery, but every donation, even the price of a cup of coffee, gets me closer to treatment! Whether I reach my full goal through fundraising alone or not, any funds raised will go directly toward my medical expenses, travel, and recovery. If I do raise more than I need, the extra funds will be donated to COCO Cafe, the charity where I work that supports people with developmental disabilities.

Thank you so much for your time, your support, and for helping me get closer to reclaiming my life. I'll be forever grateful for any help you're able to give!

Before and after of a Canadian patient of Dr. Trobisch, Alexandra D.; Alexandra was treated for two severe curves of over 60 degrees!

Testimonial:

"My name is Jessica and I have battled scoliosis for the majority of my life. [...] The pain would stop me in my tracks and wake me from sleep. [...] I knew I needed surgery; there was no other option. [...] When I say that I tried to get medical care in Canada, I more than tried. [...] With limited surgeons able to take on a complex surgery like mine, I was being denied care over and over again. [...] This began the search to seek care out of country. [...] Once I landed on Dr. Trobisch in Germany, I knew he was the surgeon for me. [...] I am now one year post-op and doing extremely well! [...] Dr. Trobisch is a gifted surgeon and Joshua would be lucky to have him for his spinal care."

— Jessica Waterworth, Canadian patient of Dr Trobisch

(full testimonial available in the updates below; please give it a read!)

Surgeon and Clinic Links:

Dr. Trobisch NSpine Profile:

https://nspine.com/speaker/per-trobisch/

International Scoliosis Centre at Eifelklinik St Brigida:

https://www.st-brigida.de/wirbelsaeulenchirurgie/international-scoliosis-center

*Edit: The benefactor of the campaign is now set as my mom, Karen Peacock, as she'll be managing donations for me! Have any questions about how GoFundMe works, where the donations go, and how it all breaks down to funding my surgery? Just shoot me a message!*