Saskatoon man dedicated to fundraising for neurology department after fourth brain surgery

A Saskatoon man who has had four brain surgeries in the last seven years is now working to raise money to improve the neurology department at Royal University Hospital.

While he has a long road to recovery — with the most recent surgery in August — he’s organizing a fundraiser set for the spring, making it his priority while he heals.

Gathering donations for the May 20 fundraiser is Brennon Dulle’s full-time job right now.

“I’ll probably never have a job so I may as well do something with my life. This will be my new job,” Dulle told CTV News.

He’s tried to go back to work, but his brain and body can’t handle it.

His first surgery was in 2015 when he was only 32-years-old. It started with a stroke that came out of nowhere. His life changed forever.

“It was horrible! I don’t remember anything about it,” he says.

It’s been a tough road for Dulle, his wife Gil, and their daughter. Since his first stroke, he’s had 500 seizures. Gil is thankful for family support.

“We have a phenomenal support network; family and friends, and I put a lot of faith in doctors,” she says.

Dulle decided to embark on the fundraiser shortly after his fourth surgery in Calgary in August.

“I’m doing the fundraiser for RUH because it helps out everyone who needs the help,” he says.

The lack of external support for adult areas of health at RUH is one of the reasons he wanted to bring this cause to the forefront. He says the equipment and ward itself are old and in need of repair and he hopes this fundraiser is the just the start of years of help he can provide.

Dulle hopes to see more of the care for neurology patients done here in Saskatoon rather than travelling to Alberta.

“In my ideal mind I’d like to see the same equipment here as in Calgary,” he says.

He is setting his sights on raising $10,000 with this first fundraiser at TCU, which will feature a dinner, entertainment, raffles a silent auction and other initiatives to garner financial support.

Even with the constant fatigue Dulle faces, requiring at least 3 hours a day to nap, he spends about 4 hours a day on the phone now. He randomly picks businesses to call, asking for donations.

It’s a daunting task at times, Dulle says, because not everyone on the other end of the phone line is receptive and some are even rude, but still, he persists and keeps moving down the many rows of numbers.

While the fundraiser is a big undertaking physically and mentally, he’s not worried about seeing it to completion – as it also provides therapy for him.

“This is a very important project because it also helps me with my stroke injuries by forcing me to talk to people on the phone,” he says.

After his surgeries he’s had to learn to walk and use his hands again, so the challenge of a fundraiser is something he’s not afraid of doing. Details on the fundraiser can be found on his Facebook page.