Client starts GoFundMe for injured massage therapist

A Freeland massage therapist who recently sustained serious injuries from a motorcycle accident is now facing a lot of uncertainty.

On the afternoon of Nov. 16, Marc Juneau was driving his Suzuki Burgman 650 down Ewing Road on South Whidbey. Road conditions were slick that day, and when Juneau went to navigate a curve, he found he was going a little too fast and lost control of his bike while trying to brake.

Juneau hit a telephone pole and a barbed wire fence and became trapped under his bike. He yelled for help and worried he could be there for a while. Luckily, a good Samaritan stopped by, called 911 and held Juneau’s hand while they waited. He was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center to treat his broken arm and leg.

Hollie Swanson, a friend of Juneau’s and one of his clients, started a GoFundMe to raise money for his housing expenses that he cannot pay while spending time out of work to heal. Shortly before the accident, Juneau had just gotten approval to rent a place for him and his teenage child, which requires a $2,000 deposit and a monthly rent of $1,400. But even that remains unsettled and could change, causing him to search for a new place to live.

“It’s gonna be a long road,” Juneau said. “I may not walk until May, April? The thought of that is just beyond me. I’ve never had an injury like this in my life.”

Juneau is in stable condition and was awaiting transfer to a skilled nursing facility this past week when interviewed by a Record reporter. Once there, he will do daily physical and occupational therapy with a team, but for how long is unknown – it could be anywhere from two to six weeks or longer until he’s allowed to come home to Whidbey Island. He will be dependent on a wheelchair for a while.

“Everything is up in the air and just a big question mark at this point,” he said.

Juneau suffered three fractures in the leg and one in the arm, all on the right side of his body that was trapped beneath the motorcycle. He broke the tibia and femur, the two largest bones in the body that take the longest to heal, as well as the ankle and the humerus.

Fortunately, all 10 fingers and 10 toes were unscathed; hands are essential for his career as a massage therapist. And so far, medical bills have not been a problem – he has heard that Apple Health, the state’s Medicaid program, is covering everything.

As part of the fundraiser, Juneau is hoping to recover his beloved motorcycle, a model which is no longer made anymore. Pictures he has seen from the towing company show that it suffered almost no damage.

Juneau has lived on Whidbey since 2022, when he ended up on his sister’s couch after doing a cross-country tour of renaissance fairs. About a year ago, he started his own business, Whidbey Massage Therapy, working out of Dr. Eli Bentabou’s Chiropractic & Wellness Clinic in Freeland. Clients know him as a colorfully dressed character offering “Love” stickers and posters.

“Opening up as a practice on the island has been one of the most amazing and awarding things I’ve ever done,” he said.

As of Wednesday morning, the GoFundMe had raised over $1,500.

To donate, search “Support Marc Juneau’s Long Road to Recovery” on the website.