Fern Kwantes, a former Brandonite, is in dire need of help.

Kwantes, who now resides in British Columbia, has been in chronic pain since 2003. She is suffering from a rare condition called 'Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy or RSD, described as a progressive disease of the autonomic nervous system, consisting of a constant and extremely intense pain.

Even the faintest breeze across Kwantes' legs is enough to cause excruciating pain. The disease can result in complete loss of limb function. Kwantes battles this symptom daily by spending painful hours working her limbs to keep as much muscle mass as possible in order to keep her limbs from atrophying. She is unable to work, succumbed to a wheelchair and hoping for better days ahead.

“Imagine having a migraine headache that never goes away — that kind of pain is what my twin sister has been dealing with,” said Kwantes' identical sister Faith Wood, who also lives in B.C.

What makes matters worse for Kwantes, 41, is the fact that doctors recently notified her that treatment options for her disease have become limited. Her only chance for recovery now is a Ketamine Coma Trial, an experimental treatment during which the patient is put into a five-day induced coma trial, using ketamine-midazolam anesthesia. The treatment is extremely dangerous, but the prognosis for patients who successfully complete it is encouraging.

Wood says Ketamine is a legal anaesthetic often used by doctors, but in low doses. A high-dosage —which Kwantes is attempting to obtain — has yet to receive the go ahead from either the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) or the Canadian Health Care system.

So in order for Kwantes to receive her surgery, she must travel to Mexico, a country that allows this procedure to happen.

Wood says the Manitoba government did approve the procedure for another patient, as did the Ontario government, but unfortunately, to date, Kwantes has not received government approval for the procedure.

With that being said, Wood has since created a website aimed at getting her sister the help she so desperately needs. Wood is asking for people to contribute $35, or whatever they can afford, to help in Kwantes' recovery from a life sentence of pain, distress and sorrow. Wood says a goal of $75,000 is within reach.

“To date we have raised $29,600 through our efforts which began two months ago,” said Wood. “In order to support her attendance in Mexico and subsequent followup treatments, we still need to raise $45,000. This equates to 1,286 people donating $35 each in an effort to help give my sister her life back.

“The only thing standing in her way was the financial means to follow this option through to fruition,” continues Wood.

Kwantes was married at Queen Elizabeth Park in Brandon in 1986 and has since given birth to three children. Both Fern and Faith moved to British Columbia soon afterward. Wood says she finally feels like she can help her beloved sister and that she no longer has to sit idle and watch as her sister suffers.

“This (website) could potentially create some hope and optimism again by raising awareness and the funds she so desperately needs.

“I think we can make this work, because of the power of people,” concludes Wood.

To donate, please visit www.faithforfern.com for more details.