Hi,
This is Alana and Talia, John’s daughters. We’re reaching out to share our story and ask for support as our family navigates a challenging chapter.
It’s not easy to ask for help. But we’ve reached a point where we know we need some extra support to help our dad on his road to recovery. Recently, family and friends have asked how they can help and encouraged us to create this fundraiser so they could offer tangible support.
Over the past seven months, our dad has endured a series of serious health challenges.
Back in November, he miraculously survived a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). A sudden and life-threatening emergency that very few make it through. He was rushed in for surgery, which was a success, and spent five days in the ICU and another four in hospital before being discharged. That alone would have been a massive ordeal, with a long recovery. But it was just the beginning.
Just one week after being home and on the mend, things took a turn and he was rushed back to emerge. He spent three weeks in the hospital trying to resolve a severe gastrointestinal bleed, a complication of the previous surgery. During that stay, we watched him collapse. A code blue was called, and he had to be resuscitated. It was beyond terrifying and uncertain. We carried on, watching him get stronger, but on the last day before his discharge, doctors came to share some news, revealing they had found esophageal cancer.
Determined to fight and leave cancer in the rearview mirror, our dad started treatment at the Cancer Centre at The Ottawa Hospital, and prepared to have his esophagus removed to reduce the risk of recurrence. He went through a grueling few months of chemotherapy and radiation. Then on May 15th, he underwent a major 11-hour esophagectomy to remove the tumor, most of his esophagus, and affected lymph nodes. We hoped this would mark a turning point, and for a short while, it felt like we were finally heading toward healing.
But complications followed. He became part of the unlucky 10% who experience the most feared complication of this specific surgery: a leak at the surgical connection between the stomach and esophagus. This led to pneumonia and required another emergency life-saving surgery. What was meant to be a simple 1.5-hour procedure turned into six hours. His body had been hiding how sick it really was. Part of his lung had to be removed, his abdomen was flushed out, attempts were made to close up part of the leak, and a feeding tube was inserted as he had gone eight days without any nutrition. Had they not gone in when they did, it would have been too late.
At this point, we were dealing with sepsis. He was in septic shock…lungs unable to function on their own, he was transferred to the ICU with life support measures and placed in a medically induced coma for several days to give his body a fighting chance to heal.
After 10 incredibly difficult days in intensive care, he began to stabilize and was transferred back to the thoracic observation ward to continue recovery. But the challenges didn’t stop. The surgical repair hadn’t held, and the connection was still leaking. Then came more setbacks, including a new worsening infection, and another emergency surgery to clear things out again and stabilize him. The hope now is that his body will slowly heal the area on its own, which is possible with proper drainage and strong antibiotics.
Now, more than a month later, we still have many weeks to go in hospital, and a long road to full recovery once he’s home.
Throughout all of this, our dad hasn’t been able to work, and new expenses continue to grow. He had to put a pause on his car driving business he worked so hard to build – something he truly loved and took pride in. We have been by his side every step of the way, advocating, supporting, and doing everything we can. But it has meant stepping back a bit from our own work and studies at times, and many urgent last-minute flights to get Talia back and forth across the country to be here by his side.
What continues to amaze us is our dad’s strength. Despite everything, his hope, humour, and positive outlook remain. Focused on the road ahead.
That being said, the financial toll is starting to get overwhelming, just as we find our footing, another setback arrives. We hope to help relieve our dad of some of the financial stress so his full focus can be on healing and getting stronger.
Even once he is discharged, the journey will be far from over. He will need time to rebuild his strength after all that his body has endured, and his cancer journey will still need monitoring. He’ll continue to have check-ins with his oncology team, and we will see if further treatment or anything else is needed. The hope is that we’ve got everything and will just continue to monitor.
We need help to get him set up at home to continue healing safely and comfortably, and adapt to some new changes.
This includes:
Purchasing an adjustable bed (~ $3,000) as the nature of his surgery requires him to sleep at a 30° angle for the foreseeable future due to the risk of aspiration
Purchasing a proper recliner chair (~ $1,000)
Getting a CPAP machine (~ $2,000) to help manage his sleep apnea and support his breathing, which is now more important than ever
Covering the costs of ongoing home care, physiotherapy, and dietitian services
Medications
Feeding tube supplies until he’s back to his normal diet
Parking and transportation
We are raising funds to help cover:
Hospital stays and specialized medical care
Equipment and medical supplies for home recovery
Travel and accommodations for family caregiving
Nutritional, medication, and rehabilitation support
Living expenses and bills while our family cannot work as usual
Ongoing and unexpected medical emergencies and complications
Anyone who knows our dad knows that he is strong and deeply caring. He has always been someone who shows up for others without hesitation. Now, we’re asking for our village to stand with him as he courageously battles on, and to help us get him through this big fight.
We are so thankful for the amazing nurses, doctors, and specialists at The Ottawa Hospital who have helped guide us in every step of this journey. Also, endlessly grateful to family and friends checking in, dropping off meals, and words of encouragement to keep us going. (Especially you, Mom, Jordan & Aunt Moira — we couldn’t do it without you)
Whether you’re able to donate, share this page, or simply send your love and support, every single gesture means the world to us.
If you’ve read this far, thank you for being part of this journey and for helping give our dad the chance to heal, recover, and return to the life he’s worked so hard to build. We’ve got many, many years of fun adventures and big milestones still to share together, and we are so grateful for your help in getting us there.
With love
— Alana & Talia
