Bring Dad Home

John and Jane Russell (my parents) Are both hard working and have put their all into getting on their feet in New Zealand . They have lived the last 13 years in The Bay of Islands, Mum works in the community helping keep the elderly, sick , disabled and dying at home, she is a home support coordinator that places and trains care workers in the home to look after these people she also does after hours calls for urgent help. Dad has had a very physically demanding job that demands long hours in the summer months. Dad recently turned 65 but being physically fit and healthy was hoping to continue working for a number of years so they could save towards retirement.

Mum had to spend the first month away staying at motels to be close to Dad and due to needing to work now travels between Bay of Islands and Auckland weekly, the bills are mounting Mum cannot afford to give up work to look after Dad.

Dad and Mum have been happily and lovingly married for 43 years and it would break my heart to see them separated now, there are also very loving grandchildren who would love to have their "Grumpy" (Grandfather) home.

On the 29th January Dad got up at 6.30am as normal went for his shower but when he went to the living room to put his shoes on he called to Mum saying he was feeling "odd". His muscles in his upper body had contracted and he could not relax them making it hard to breath, Mum called the ambulance service and they came but after checking him said they could not find anything unusual, his heart was in very good shape and no indication of a stroke, suggested he went to his GP for possible infection somewhere. Arrived at doctor , more pulse, blood pressure urine test etc., decided to call ambulance and send him for blood testing and chest X-Rays. He had been given small dose of Morphine to try and relax muscles. At this stage Dads muscles in his arms, chest and across his shoulders on his back are aching. He is feeling washed out but able to walk and sitting in waiting room to hear results, his right leg now very weak and needs support to walk. Its decided he will stay overnight for observation. In the morning when the doctor did his rounds Dad tells him about being unable to empty his bladder and its discovered that bladder is distended catheter inserted 1100mls extracted. Transfer to Whangerei hospital for MRI/CT scan. Arrived at Whangarei hospital, - by lunchtime he was a tetraplegic, Sunday brought a helicopter ride to a big city specialty hospital .....

Two weeks later diagnosis came in as: "Transverse Myelitis - incomplete tetraplegia - unknown cause".

There is no medical treatment, only rehabilitation with physiotherapy and see what healing his body will do for itself, the extent of recovery is unknown. Dad is currently in a Spinal Rehab Unit, they are very good and Dad has regained some muscle/brain connection but he cannot sustain it, he can now sit on his own and has been working on upper body strength and wheelchair skills, His bladder and bowel cannot function on their own and we`re told that function may not return, he has also lost the ability to control his body temperature, so a regulated temperature environment is needed.

Mum needs to open up the bathroom/toilet area to make it accessible for commode chair so Dad's bowel cares/showering can be carried out, we also need to install a heat pump to keep the house at an even temperature, the cost is estimated at about $ 13,000. Mum is getting tremendous support from friends in the trade but will still have to find the money to pay for materials. Dad is due home at the end of the month so Mum has had to go ahead with the alterations.

I know that this is a request heading into the ten`s of thousand`s but any help would be very much appreciated.

Having to write this has been a very difficult endeavor, it has torn at my heart to watch my parents go through this and feel so helpless to not be able to help them myself.

My love and heartfelt thanks and appreciation to everyone and anyone who can help.