I am appealing for support for Ivo and Stani Rohan, who live in my neighbourhood. I came to know them because we have a strong dog-loving culture around here and I met Stani as she walked her dog Enny in the park behind my house.
Over the last year, Stani made us aware that her husband Ivo was ill, and it was starting to affect his ability to work as a taxi driver. It was only recently that I learned that his condition had worsened to the point where he is being considered for a liver transplant.
Ivo is currently unable to work at all, and has had to apply for disability payments. Unfortunately, these payments, coupled with the 50% clawback the government imposes on any money that Stani earns part-time, means that they are finding it impossible to stay in their home of 5 years. As a last resort, they are considering selling their house and moving back into an apartment. Ivo is now 60, and making such a move would crush his spirit. Dealing with his condition is enough of a battle, let alone losing his house.
Medical Timeline
In 1992, Ivo had an accident that resulted in damage to one of the vertebrae in his neck. Doctors recommended that he take Tylenol 3 on an ongoing basis to deal with the pain.
By Christmas 2011, he started feeling tired all of the time. This is unusual for a man who was an avid hiker and actively played hockey and soccer up until then. His family doctor took blood samples and determined that his liver function was abnormal. Ivo was not a heavy drinker by any means, so on a visit to a liver specialist in February 2012, he was told that years of taking Tylenol 3 was the cause of his cirrhosis. Intake of both the Tylenol and any alcohol whatsoever was immediately stopped.
Between January and May 2012, Ivo lost 65 pounds (30 kg).
By June of 2012, it was clear that he no longer had the energy or ability to work full time. He continued on a part-time basis until November when he had to stop working altogether. In December, he was in the hospital for two stays: one was 12 days and the other 4 days to deal with pain, confusion and shaking. As a result of the cirrhosis, he has been diagnosed as having a brain disorder called hepatic encephalopathy.
Now, in January 2013, Ivo is still uncertain about his ability to get on a transplant waiting list. The transplant team is asking him to get a certificate from an addiction foundation to confirm that he is an alcoholic before they will put him on the list, but he is not an alcoholic! In the meantime, they have ranked him as suitable for a transplant (meaning definitely in need of a new liver and able to deal with the operation) if a suitable donor is found. But until he permitted on the list, nothing will proceed. In the meantime, his condition is worsening daily.
The Need
Until Ivo and Stani can find a way out of this ridiculous Catch-22, their income and existing funds are dwindling. For now, they would be happy to have the peace of mind knowing that they can stay in their home for at least 6 months while Ivo’s situation is clarified. The stress of dealing with financial and medical crises at the same time would be too much for anyone to bear.
We may have to revisit this situation after 6 months, but I am asking for as many people as possible to help us reach the goal of $9,120 Canadian to cover 6 months’ expenses. Note that their PayPal account is in Canadian Dollars, but the difference between $CDN and $US is only about 1% at time of writing ($CDN is stronger). PayPal will do the conversion when you contribute, if paying in $US.
Here is a breakdown of their monthly needs to stay in their house:
Mortgage and property tax shortfall - $600
Utilities - $200
Food and supplies - $450
Medicines not covered by health plan - $95
In addition, we need to cover the Indiegogo and PayPal fees for this campaign, which will be approximately $1050.
Thank you very much. Of course, we will keep you updated!