Michael Rouswell Severe GBS Recovery Fund

My name is Mike Rouswell. This is about being mistreated as a contractor by the International Monetary Fund known as the IMF. It is an international financial institution that loans money to countries. I was a contractor for the IMF for about ten years having been sent to numerous countries, long-term and short-term.

In the spring of 2017, I was asked to go to Anguilla in the Caribbean. The IMF Travel Department reserved my room in a hotel. While there, during the first night, my right arm was badly bitten by mosquitos. Upon my return from Anguilla, I immediately became very ill. I was admitted to an emergency room and was diagnosed as having contracted Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS).

I became completely paralyzed. I was given a tracheostomy so I could be attached to a ventilator that breathed for me, a feeding tube was placed in my stomach and I was on oxygen 24 hours a day. I was in a vegetative state in Intensive Care for three months. I was transferred to a Critical Care Nursing Facility for another twelve months, plus a month in a physical therapy hospital.

Currently, I still cannot shower or dress myself among many other daily assistance requirements. I am approaching year four of my ordeal and still use a wheelchair. It wasn’t until mid-2019 that I began to take mental notice of my surroundings enough to think about my future. I was still on medication, suffered depression and anxiety, and remained very physically challenged. I need more therapy to help me walk and to gain better use of my hands.

The IMF has known from the second day about my illness through my family's communication with my IMF Supervisor, but the IMF has done nothing. I hired a lawyer, who has made an attempt with the IMF to allow a Workmen Compensation claim to go forward, which was denied by the IMF Human Resources Department. The IMF has chosen to ignore my work related illness and my claims, and has covered up its wrongful denials as well has chosen to ignore its own rules for filing WC claims.

At the urging of my very supportive wife, I am asking for your financial assistance to cover living and further rehabilitation expenses. The IMF is one of the world's two largest international financial institutions, which lends billions of dollars annually to member countries in need. On numerous occasions the IMF is unable to collect even the interest on these country loans, which totals into millions and it writes the interest off, yet refuses to admit responsibility for one employee injured due to its fault. Too many big companies can step all over little people, but not if we are together. David took down Goliath! We are David!

Thank you for your understanding and donation for American Veteran. Everything I have said here is provable.