Niagara boxing coach fighting for his life after what he calls a ‘botched’ surgery

Niagara boxing coach Doug Dobias is fighting for his life after what he’s calling a botched surgery over a decade ago.

The boxer, turned coach once weighed 285 pounds. Today he weighs 180 pounds, Dobias lost 100 pounds in the last six months. Dobias says he’s lost over 100 pounds because he hasn’t been able to eat or drink in the past six months without getting sick.

Dobias claims a botched surgery 11 years ago is killing him, “I used to vomit 15 times a week. It’s uncomfortable but I could live with it. In the last several months it’s 30 to 40 times a day, even with fluids.”

Dobias has been waiting almost a year for another surgery to put fix the issue. He says it could be six months to a year before he gets the surgery.

Dobias has found a clinic in Rochester, New York that can do the procedure soon but it’s expensive.

Dobias’ daughter started a GoFundMe Page to fund the surgery, “if we can’t get it done in Canada we have to have it privately funded and I don’t have the funds for that it could be anywhere up to $50,000 U.S.,” Dobias said.

“Coach Doug Dobias needs us” has already raised over $24,000.

Niagara MPP Jeff Burch brought Doug’s fight to Queen’s Park and asked the government to invest $1.3 billion earmarked by the Financial Accountability Office to address the backlog of surgeries. Minister of Health, Sylvia Jones replied, “we have funded Ontario hospitals to expand their surgical unit hours to address the issue the member opposite raises.”

CHCH News reached out to Doug’s doctor at St. Joseph’s hospital but he declined.