In May of 2020 I was looking forward to celebrating my 27th wedding anniversary. As morning broke on our anniversary day, it quickly became clear things were not going to turn out as expected. At 5 a.m. I woke up sick. I knew something was wrong, but had no idea what was happening. Thankfully, I was able to get the help I needed in time. The doctors at the New Brunswick Heart Centre saved my life.

I’m Dr. Neil Manson, an Orthopedic Surgeon at the Saint John Regional Hospital. I am also a founding member of the Canada East Spine Centre. Our work at Canada East Spine focuses on improving spine care for all New Brunswickers. The goal is to better understand all the factors that impact spinal conditions, find the best ways to treat these complex problems and improve patient outcomes. Thanks to donor generosity we can do that through clinical research, and reduce the costs and challenges that back issues cause in our society.

I’m Dale and because of my back issues, I felt like I was missing out on the things I loved. I was eager to get my life back. The day I got to see Dr. Manson and he diagnosed the bulging disc in my spine, I was so grateful, finally I had some answers.

I couldn't walk more than ten minutes before surgery, and now I can hike 3-kilometre trails. If you can, I hope you'll consider supporting Canada East Spine Centre's critical research.