A local family are raising funds for their dad after an apparent “mishap” during a routine medical procedure left him with permanent nerve damage.
Greg Rule underwent a microdiscectomy of a bulging disc in his lower back in March 2021, during which the dura protecting his nerve was cut, his wife Melanie Rule said.
“Greg has sustained permanent nerve damage in his lower back (L5/S1 area) which has had an immeasurable, long-term impact on every facet of his daily life,” she said.
“The impact from this surgery has caused Adhesive Arachnoiditis, which is a permanent, untreatable, irreversible, degenerative condition where scar tissue from the damaged area wraps itself around Greg’s lower spinal nerves.”
Mrs Rule said this caused Mr Rule extreme pain, weakness in his legs and incontinence.
“… and eventually paralysis,” she said.
The Rule family has made a GoFundMe to help buy Mr Rule a specialised “off-road” wheelchair, called an Action Trackchair, which costs more than $20,000 dollars.
They’re also fundraising through craft stalls and his teenage children are selling chocolates at school.
“Before his injury he loved walking on the beach, fishing, camping with his family, going to the speedway and drags, camping and caravan shows, and several other activities that he can no longer participate in,” Mrs Rule said.
“But with the chair we look forward to enjoying these things again and hope to share them with fellow Australians via the several social media platforms we have already started to follow his journey.”
Prior to the surgery, Mr Rule was a multi-combination truck driver.
“His post-surgical recovery time of six weeks kept extending as his condition worsened,” a family member said.
“Not only has this resulted in a loss of wages and livelihood, but prior to the surgery, Greg prided himself on being a hard-working breadwinner for his family and feels lost and defeated that an integral part of his personal identity is gone.
“Mel had to leave work six months after the surgery to become his full-time carer at home. His hope is to work towards stabilising his pain and decreased motor function in order to train for a new career path in the future.”
https://gofund.me/4f2cd5c2
