“I know what it is like for a young kid not to have a parent and I’m trying to do everything I can right now to make sure that doesn’t happen to our daughter.”

Mason Kurz says his wife, Lauren, has dealt with a debilitating case of neurological Lyme Disease since May; an illness that has left her dizzy, bedridden, and losing her memory.

Kurz played hockey with the Selects when he was 15 (photo credit: Mason Kurz).Kurz says it has been painful to watch his wife deteriorate from a strong business owner and active mother into this sickly state.

“This is not your average Lyme Disease,” he says, “and the symptoms are only getting worse.”

Kurz happens to be an Eastman Selects alumni. He played for the team when he was 15. At that time, he says, his coaches and fellow players helped him through the death of his father. Now that his wife’s life is endangered, it seems the Selects are stepping in again.

The Selects' Bantam AAA hockey team is playing a fundraiser game at 12:30 PM in Landmark this Sunday. All funds raised here will go towards the expensive treatment Lauren requires, which can only be accessed outside of Canada.

Kurz says the Selects have been an amazing support, but not the only support. Through happenstance, he notes, they came into contact with a couple from Oakbank going through a very similar ordeal. According to Kurz, their acquaintances are currently at the Sponaugle Wellness Institute in Florida, and the treatment is going well. He says this gives him hope for Lauren.

“We’re hopeful” he admits, “but it will be very very expensive because the light at the end of the tunnel is going to have to come from out of the country.”

Kurz also commends his relatives, friends, and coworkers who have come alongside him and Lauren and made their dark circumstances a little bit more bearable.

Anyone interested in contributing to Lauren’s medical treatment is encouraged to attend the Landmark hockey game this weekend or message Mason Kurz privately on Facebook.