Desperate to walk again, this 25-year-old Ontario woman is ready to pay $40K for U.S. spinal assessment

Ontario spine specialists say they're experiencing long wait times

Isha Bhargava · CBC News · Posted: Apr 22, 2025 5:00 AM EDT

Sydney Gesualdi, 25, of London, Ont., lost her ability to walk and started experiencing neurological problems after a July 2023 car accident. Gesualdi's family physician has referred her to eight doctors at spinal clinics across the province but she hasn't been able to get a consultation. (Submitted by Sydney Gesualdi)

A London woman injured in a car crash says she's left with no choice but to pay to see a doctor in the United States after waiting almost two years for a diagnosis from an Ontario spine surgeon.

Sydney Gesualdi was rear-ended at a red light in July 2023, after which she was initially diagnosed with whiplash and tissue damage. In the weeks that followed, the 25-year-old lost the ability to walk, started having trouble swallowing and speaking, and had numbness in her face and limbs.

"None of these symptoms have gone away, and it's been almost two years," Gesualdi said. "I'm 25 and I can't walk."

She now has to use a wheelchair and wears a neck brace at all times. Gesualdi's family physician has referred her to eight doctors at spinal clinics across the province, but so far, she's been denied a consultation.

CBC News has seen the rejections from Toronto Western Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) and Trillium Spine Centre. Wait times and heavy caseloads are cited as the reason for not taking the patient, as well as the condition potentially being outside the scope of practice.