A 59-year old man who’s known for quietly cleaning up Sooke is facing a serious health challenge that has taken him off the streets and into a hospital bed.
Sifu Moonfist, who regularly sweeps roadsides, removes graffiti, or picks up litter, has fallen ill due to his severe epilepsy.
A GoFundMe page, started by ‘the Friends of Sifu Moonfist’ on Nov. 30, explains that the well-known Sooke man has been in Vancouver General Hospital lately.
“Unfortunately, over the past 18 months, the seizures have increased in frequency and have become debilitating,” said the organizers on the crowd-funding platform.
“After thorough evaluation at Vancouver General, it was determined he will need to have the remaining portion of the left hippocampus removed.”
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This isn’t the first time Moonfist has dealt with severe epilepsy.
The Sooke man’s malformed brain tissues are the cause of his sudden onset of adult epilepsy, compared to brain injury being much more common.
The 59-year-old underwent surgery to remove the left side amygdala and a portion of the hippocampus back in February 2006. The surgery relieved the potential for several types of seizure events, but the problem has continued to worsen.
Currently, the hospital bills are covered by his medical plan, but he and his wife don’t know how long recovery will take. This means that his wife, Maggie, has to pay for accommodations, transportation, and everyday living expenses to be with Moonfist in Vancouver.
While Moonfist recovers, he asks that any unused funds from the GoFundMe page be donated to the Sooke Food Bank. As of Dec. 1, nearly $1,100 has been raised from a $20,000 goal.
To donate, head over to www.gofundme.com/f/koshin-sifu-moonfist-battles-epilepsy
aaron.guillen@goldstreamgazette.com
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