Brampton, ON -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/21/2015 -- Linda Palmer wants her friend Matt to get back to his best. Matt has played for the Canadian national rugby team in both the 15- and 7-a-side squads between 2002 and 2006. He was also the captain and MVP of the 7-a-side squad in 2005. While studying for his MBA, he has also played for and captained Cambridge University in 2010 and 2011. As a coach, Matt has been associated with the Calgary Canucks Rugby team for two seasons.

While playing for Canada, Matt suffered a serious neck injury in 2002. Unfortunately, the severity of this injury was misdiagnosed. As a result, Matt ended up playing through this discomfort for the remaining part of his career. This has resulted in serious damage to his spine. Recently, he has also been diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), a connective tissue disorder that leaves the sufferers prone to ligament and tendon tears and severe degeneration and arthritis.

His injuries and chronic pain have restricted Matt from working in the recent years. He has not only run out of all his savings but has also accumulated a significant amount of debt. At present, Matt is living life in great distress with his $750/month disability allowance. Matt's good friend Linda is raising funds for him to receive 12 months of physical therapy to treat his chronic pain and other side effects of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

Highlighting Matt's present state, Linda states, "Matt has significant earning potential with his strong work ethic and advanced business degree. He is, however, caught in a cycle where he's in too much pain and too fatigued to work full time. Matt's recovery has been held back because many of the treatments that help him are not covered by the Canadian health care system and he has no additional benefits coverage."

Linda's primary objective is to help Matt access treatment, pay for a pool membership, and return him to a state where he can support himself. He has recently started a Go Fund Me campaign to raise $30,000 for this purpose.

Proceeds from this campaign will be used for:

- Matt's weekly medical treatments cost $450.
- Monthly pool membership costs $40.
- Pain management training, specialist treatments and transportation cost $150 a session.

To find out more about this campaign, please visit gofund.me/652au3sw

About gofund.me/652au3sw
This campaign was launched by Linda Palmer to help his friend Matt receive the best possible treatment for his Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Matt has represented the Canadian national rugby team and coached the Calgary Canucks Rugby team for two seasons.