Help Mel Recover from Emergency Spinal Surgery

Hello, as some of you may know, our dear friend Mel has undergone a harrowing experience with the medical system and is currently still in recovery at the hospital. Mel has lost sensation and function in parts of their lower body due to doctors refusing to take the severity of their back injury/herniated disc seriously for years. It could take a year for us to fully know the extent of the damage done to their body, and we are raising funds to help them along in their healing journey, to get their apartment into a state where they can recover safely, and eventually to seek justice for the harm done to them by neglectful medical practitioners.

Mel's story began with a spinal injury in 2020, at which time an MRI showed a bunch of bulging discs, and discs with slight tears in their lower back. The following years were plagued by chronic pain, countless visits to medical doctors, three pain specialists, physiotherapists, chiropractors, and thousands of dollars out of pocket for pain management.

A month ago, Mel was rushed to the ER at North York General Hospital in a pain flare so severe they could not move by themself, and they were sent home being offered only painkillers and a nerve medication that they had already tried, despite knowing surgery was needed. Mel was then rushed to the ER again the next day (this time at St. Micheals) on recommendation by their GP who informed them that they were experiencing signs of Cauda Equina syndrome, a rare and serious disorder that describes extreme pressure and swelling of the nerves at the end of the spinal cord, and if left untreated can cause permanent paralysis. While at the hospital their condition worsened, and they began to lose sensation in their feet and legs. After another agonizing 48 hours of waiting, during which they heard doctors question whether they were too young for their condition, or if they just had anxiety (even with proof available to doctors of the severity of the condition from yet another MRI) Mel was finally admitted for emergency surgery. Mel’s surgery took twice as long as it should have due to the amount of pressure that had compounded over so long. The doctor removed several large pieces of herniated disc and bone, and told Mel that this was one of the worst cases they had ever seen. Now, they are in a rehab facility barely able to walk, and unsure whether they will regain full sensation in their lower body.

This incredibly traumatizing experience was entirely avoidable, had any of the many doctors and pain specialists that Mel has visited since 2020 taken the time to give them another MRI, or to look deeper into the source of their pain. Had Mel not advocated for themself after their first ER visit in January, they most likely would now be fully paralyzed from the waist down.

As if this situation is not already far more than one human should ever be asked to endure, Mel is also currently in a dispute with the landlord for their new apartment, which has a noise issue that makes the space essentially unlivable. The noise, so severe that it shakes the apartment, was of course not disclosed before the signing of the lease that took place mere months before Mel’s medical emergency occurred. They have been trying to get this issue sorted out since November, and in the meantime staying at their mother's house, while still being asked to pay rent for this unlivable space. Currently, during Mel’s month-long stay in the hospital, the landlord has been caught going behind their back to try and get them removed from the lease on this apartment so that the landlord doesn't have to deal with making the necessary repairs.

For Mel's recovery, it’s imperative for them to be able to move into this new apartment when they are released from rehabilitation, as it is the most physically accessible space they have access to that would allow them to have an easier and more independent healing process. Mel’s roommate and mother are currently in the process of tracking down a lawyer who can help speed along the process of getting their landlord to comply with the repair requests.

What your donations will go towards:

-Covering living and recovery expenses accrued during this extended period that Mel is unable to work. This would include rent, utilities, Mel’s acupuncture insurance and license renewal at the end of February, and continuing education costs (this would be a minimum of $2000 on its own), as well as mobility aids for the recovery process (cane, walker) and covering the out of pocket costs of physio rehab until they make their way up the waitlist for public coverage, which could take three months.

-Help Mel and their roommate fight their legal battle with their negligent landlord to get their apartment to a more livable standard. (This is a priority as Mel needs an accessible space where they can recover once discharged from the hospital).

-In the long term, we are looking to find/retain a lawyer to represent Mel in a medical malpractice case. While it is quite clear from a layperson's perspective that this is a case of medical malpractice, it is legally not quite so clear and thus may require excessive lawyer fees for Mel to have the representation they need. We were quoted a 10,000$ retainer fee, which is why that is our goal for this fundraiser. This case needs to be seen, to set a precedent and to prevent these cases of entirely preventable injury from being the "normal story" of our medical system. Mel deserves justice and advocacy, and we all deserve a medical system that is capable of caring for us and preventing life-altering injuries while in its care.

If you can support Mel please donate here. If you or someone you know is a lawyer who believes in pro-bono/sliding scale work in either tenant's rights or medical malpractice, please reach out. All funds collected will go directly to Mel.