A fundraiser started by a Yellowknife man’s friends will help cover his family’s expenses while he recovers in Edmonton following surgery to repair a brain bleed.
Adam Scarf collapsed while in Edmonton on vacation last week. Emergency surgery was successful but doctors won’t know how much damage the bleed caused, if any, until Scarf wakes up, which has yet to happen.
In an update to a GoFundMe online fundraiser, Scarf’s mother, Stacey Mahe, said there were “not many signs of him waking up, although he does look at me from time to time and squeeze my hand.”
Jestine Amora, who has known Scarf for 25 years, started the GoFundMe with the blessing of his family to help cover the cost of accommodation, transportation, meals, and lost wages. By Tuesday evening, the page had raised more than $26,000.
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Amora said Covid-19 precautions meant Scarf’s mother had been his only family visitor until Tuesday, when hospital staff allowed his father to see him.
Mahe wrote online: “Currently, the right side of his body has no movement as he has sustained the brain bleed on the left side of his brain, which controls the right side of the body.
“It’s been an exhausting and emotional journey but all your prayers and support, and reaching out in so many ways, has helped us tremendously.”
Amora described Scarf as “funny, charismatic, and the glue of a lot of friend circles.” She said she was not surprised the fundraiser had brought in close to $30,000 in just a few days, smashing an initial target of $10,000.
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“He’s usually the centre of attention in group settings because he’s just a high-energy guy,” Amora said.
“He’s just so loved by his friends and family and co-workers and the community, and we just want to see him come out strong.
“These coming weeks and months will just be hard and challenging for them in ways we can’t begin to imagine.”
Amora said she is receiving daily updates from Scarf’s parents and will share them on the GoFundMe page.
