Help our Mom recover from a double spine surgery

Hi my name is Stacey and I’m asking the world to help my Mom.

A few weeks ago my Mom complained of a pain between her shoulder blades. Her local GP passed it off as a muscle spasm and sent her home. The pain began to worsen to the point where she couldn’t move without excruciating pain.

On Sunday, March 26 she was rushed by helicopter to Saint Paul’s hospital for cardiac. The pain was so severe that it caused her to have a stress induced heart attack.

After the angiogram that discovered the heart damage, an MRI was done to investigate the source of the pain which showed an abscess on her spine. She was immediately rushed by ambulance to VGH for spinal surgery. This was extra high risk due to the blood thinners she was given to treat the heart attack and the damage done to her heart but they needed to act.

when she got out of surgery, Mom was in good spirits. The first time we had seen her smile in weeks! She felt no pain and was giddy, smiling and happy to be alive.

Those happy moments were cut short when the excruciating pain started to return, her blood pressure was through the roof and she could no longer feel or move her legs or feet from the belly button down.

She was rushed to another MRI where they found a massive blood clot (they think it was caused by the blood thinners given for the heart attack) that was compressing another part of her spine. After the surgeons reviewed the MRI, she was immediately transferred to the OR to operate.

At this point we were all praying for her to make it through this second surgery as her heart had already been through so much. We were so incredibly happy when she was wheeled back into the room but now our hearts are breaking as she still cannot move her lower body. She can feel light touch but has no control of movement and now we can only pray and wait.

My mom had just recovered from a 6 month ankle surgery after walking on a broken foot for 2 years (an undiagnosed broken bone in her foot after a fall in a mall parking lot). She had just gotten to the point in her physical therapy where she was learning to walk again with light at the end of her wheelchair tunnel.

My dad had just accepted a job that he is very excited about. Their benefits have not kicked in and now he is unsure on how long he will be unable to work. My Mom is in for a long recovery and may be in the hospital for weeks or months. We do not know if she will regain movement but we are praying non stop and will continue to hope.

My parents do not live in Vancouver, they have bills to pay and need the support but will have expenses far beyond manageable to get through this.

We want them to focus on getting better without stressing about medical costs, Physio treatments, lost wages, home adjustments for special equipment, home nurses/care etc.

I’ve never thought I would be one to create a gofundme page, but here I am.

Please consider helping if you can. My mom is a selfless person and has always put everyone first. We want to do everything we possibly can to support her through her journey of recovery, whatever that looks like.