Being diagnosed with a brain tumor was only the beginning...

 

When Derek was told in 2011 that a benign, but very large brain tumor was threatening his life, his world was flipped upside down in an instant. But when he suffered a massive stroke that went undetected around the time of surgery, that upside down world was completely shattered.

 

Derek awoke from surgery paralyzed on his left side, with little movement on his right, unable even to move his head. To make matters worse, he was left fully deaf in one ear and with an eye condition that made sight very difficult and still causes extreme vertigo. For nearly three months he struggled to overcome a terrible case of pneumonia under special observation. He was intubated and so could not eat or speak. His face was left paralyzed on one side. At that point, every means of communicating were taken from him. It was pretty scary going. When the tubes were removed, we discovered on top of everything else, Derek couldn't swallow and had to be fed via a feeding tube. More devastatingly, Derek found that he couldn't make intelligible sounds to talk to us. We knew, but it took some time to prove, that the brain tumour and the stroke had devastated his body, but had left his mind intact.

 

By the end of August, after three harrowing, medically-complicated months in the Civic Hospital, Derek was released to The Ottawa Rehab Centre where he spent five months in physical, speech and occupational therapy. Here, with the support of TRC's amazing and dedicated staff of nurses and rehab specialists, Derek went from almost complete paralysis, to slight movement, to being able to practice walking in a hoist, and eventually to practicing walking with a treadmill and walker. Eventually he was taken off the feeding tube... Eventually, with great difficulty, he started being able to form words...

 

After his release in January, he lived with a friend for eight months while his body, brain and spirit continued to heal and gain strength. Very gratefully, his mind and personality were not among the long list of casualties. After much healing, Derek returned to us the same guy he always was on the inside, a loving and loyal friend, ready to laugh, in many ways devastated but stoic about his new reality and always ready to work hard. He has fought every day since to put the pieces of his life back together and to recover as much as possible.

 

 

Today and tomorrow...

 

Derek has come a long way since those first many months. Today, through very hard work and the help of some great professionals, he's learning to walk again. Although his speech is still very affected, and communication difficult, he can now have conversations. With effort, he can eat meals again himself. Despite vision problems he can once again enjoy a night out at the movies with the help of a friend. There's much to be grateful for. However, he's still left with many extreme and scary challenges.

 

This fundraising effort is to generate a steady income, through your generous donations, to help Derek stabilize his finances, ensure his future, and keep his best recovery possible. At 61, he is currently living in his own apartment adjoining an old-age retirement home which provides for his 24-hour care.

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But prices for these services keep going up, and the disability pension he receives from his job is nearing it's end. By 2024 he will be forced to move into into long-term care, unless we do something NOW.

 

Our hope is to help get Derek on solid ground financially, through your generous monthly donations, for now and in the years to come. We want to ensure that he can continue to live where he's most comfortable and that his extensive care and living costs will be taken care of. And, as he grows stronger and is able to do more, we want to be sure he can build on all his hard-won gains by being able to continue pursuing the therapy, tools and equipment he needs to achieve the greatest level of independence―and most-fulfilling life―possible, in his own home.

 

The first day that Derek stood post-surgery using his own strength was extraordinary. We allowed ourselves to cry and hope for better things. Every hard-won gain since then feels just as extraordinary. We're hoping  many of you will join a community of friends who stand with Derek in support of his long road ahead.

We love him, and we want him to be okay.