Hello Everyone!! I am here to try and raise money for my uncle, Robert Derkson. He has been suffering from degenerative disc disease for several years. Due to the deterioration of soft tissue, my uncle has difficulty doing things he once loved to do; such as backpacking, hiking, building, heavy lifting, and taekwondo. He lives every day at a pain level of 12 even though he takes a handful of prescription painkillers and sleep aids. Unfortunately, the medication has lost its effect over the years. We have slowly seen his spark die and he hasn’t been enjoying his passion – helping the kids.He was born and raised in Surrey, British Columbia and earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology at the University of Lethbridge. 14 years ago my uncle decided to make a change and moved up north to Fort Ware; where he works for the Kwadacha band - counselling the community. He takes part in the following activities within the Kwadacha community:· Cultural wilderness camps - helps with mental health addictions· Teaching taekwondo - helps with discipline and life skills· Boys group - helps mentor the youthAbout 7 years ago he began to see symptoms of degenerative disc disease. What is degenerative disc disease?Degenerative disc disease is the changes in your spinal discs as you age. Spinal discs are soft, compressible discs that separate the interlocking bones (vertebrae) that make up the spine. The discs act as shock absorbers for the spine, allowing it to flex, bend, and twist. Degenerative disc disease can take place throughout the spine, but it most often occurs in the discs in the lower back (lumbar region) and the neck (cervical region).The changes in the discs can result in back or neck pain and/or:· Osteoarthritis - the breakdown of the tissue (cartilage) that protects and cushions joints. · Herniated disc - an abnormal bulge or breaking open of a spinal disc.· Spinal stenosis – the narrowing of the spinal canal, the open space in the spine that holds the spinal cord. These conditions put extreme pressure on the spinal cord and nerves, leading to intolerable pain and affects nerve function. The pain has gotten so severe that his arms and legs go numb and/or quit working.How is degenerative disc disease treated? Spinal fusion, however, the specialist has said that he does not feel the surgery would help my uncle’s case. Spinal decompression therapy has been recommended as an alternative treatment. This treatment is offered in Coquitlam and costs $6,000 for 25 sessions. He will receive 5 treatments at a time and has to fly back and forth from Fort Ware to Vancouver. Airfare from Fort Ware to Vancouver is $1,450 round trip. Our family would be extremely thankful for any type of donations we received today for his medical fund, as all of this treatment is not covered by MSP.Thank you so much!
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