Thank you to everyone who has supported Conrad’s campaign so far. Thanks to your generosity, we reached the 10% fundraising milestone earlier this month. We are incredibly grateful for every donation, share, message of encouragement, and prayer. Unfortunately, the journey ahead remains a difficult one, and we still need your help. If you are unable to contribute financially, please consider sharing the campaign with friends, family, or anyone who may be willing to help. Every

A word of caution from our family — please read before you donate to anyone This is not a pleasant post to write, but it is a necessary one. Wherever people are kind, someone will try to exploit that kindness. Campaigns are copied, Facebook profiles are cloned, email addresses are faked. AI has made all of this far easier and far more convincing than it was even a year ago. A cloned page can look perfect. A voice on the phone can be generated from a few seconds of audio. So p

How to donate to Conrad — and how to do it safely Thank you. Every message we have received asking "how do I help?" has meant a great deal to our family. ❤️ Here is everything you need, in one place. The simplest and safest way: BackaBuddy You can donate directly through the official campaign using EFT, credit card, or PayPal: 🔗 https://backabuddy.co.za/campaign/conrads-urgent-spinal-surgery-fund Please check the web address carefully before you pay. Lookalike addresses that

It's a fair question. I asked it myself when I came home, and everyone in my family has asked it at some point too. You deserve a proper answer rather than a short one. First, some context about me. I am 44, a South African citizen, and I returned home permanently about a year ago after roughly two decades in Canada. I have no personal income, no overseas assets and no Canadian benefits. I also don't have an established South African SARS/tax history, so proving my current fi

This is Conrad's spine from the CT myelogram conducted in December of 2024. The bright channel in the second image is where the nerves to his legs run. At L4-L5, the disc has pushed backwards into that channel and narrowed it — spinal canal stenosis. The report notes it's worse in certain positions, and that the left L5 nerve roots are likely being compressed when he moves. In plain terms: walking closes the space around his nerves. That's why he can't stay on his feet and th

My name is Arina. I am eighty years old, and this is one of the hardest things I have ever had to write. This page is dedicated to my son, Conrad. Two of his spinal discs have collapsed and a third is failing. He needs spinal fusion surgery, and our family cannot pay for it. That is the plain reason this page exists. This page and the Back-a-Buddy campaign were set up, and are being managed, with the help of my second-eldest son and his wife. I want to tell the whole story, i