Alex McDonald was rushed to Canberra Hospital on Father's Day last year after suffering a catastrophic stroke.

There he underwent brain surgery which left him completely paralysed and with locked-in syndrome.

Mr McDonald is now undergoing rehabilitation and is in the process of learning to speak again.

His wife Natasha Coetzee and their children remain back and forth from Wagga, but dream of the day when their family are living under the same roof again.

To help the family a GoFundMe page was created by Mrs Cooetzee's sister, Annie Skipworth, which has since accumulated more than $12,300 in less than two weeks to help the family secure an accessible home and vehicle.

Mrs Coetzee said the support they have received for Mr McDonald has been humbling.

"I think I may have been living in a fantasy world thinking I could do it all myself and get by," Mrs Coetzee said.

"You're never prepared for things like this, you think you might be, but in your 30s and 40s, you never give it much thought that something may happen that will put you out of work for life.

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"Now it's the two of us, now I have to help Alex to communicate and advocate for the things that he wants because he can't do it for himself and now neither of us are working.

"We do need to purchase a vehicle for Alex, he will be in a fully motorised wheelchair which is a bit bigger than a normal wheelchair- so that puts us in a different bracket for a car."

Before the stroke, the pair dreamed of purchasing a block of land outside of town where they would build a bigger house together.

Now, the pair are more focused on a home in which Mr McDonald can live comfortably.

"Housing is another downfall for us, again COVID has made things a lot harder and things like plaster and steel aren't so easy to come by. Neither are builders," Mrs Coetzee said.

"Houses that are already somewhat accessible aren't easy to come by."

But despite the many challenges, the family are overwhelmed by the support they have been receiving.

"I always assumed we were quite a low-key family who hadn't made much of a footprint in the community, but it turns out we made a much bigger footprint than we thought," Mrs Coetzee said.

Local businesses have also gotten behind the cause, with Enhance Performance Massage Wagga contributing five per cent of sales to the family.

Enhance Performance Massage's Christina Grauer-Kompos said as well as setting up transportation, she is hoping the funds will help in getting Mr McDonald to appointments and giving him somewhat of a "new normal life to live".

"Setting up a life with someone who has a physical disability can be very expensive," Ms Grauer-Kompos said.

Through helping the family Ms Grauer-Kompos is able to give back to the man who once took a chance on her.

"Alex over the years has not only fixed all of my injuries but has also been a massive mentor for me when starting my career as a remedial therapist," she said.

"He has given me opportunities like working with the Newcastle Knights when they were in Wagga and also helped me start my first business in the industry.

"I decided I wanted to give back and help Alex after all the years he has helped me, and by doing so I'm donating 5 per cent from every payment I receive from my clients."

Mrs Coetzee said the family will never forget the help they have received.

"I just want everyone to know that we will pay it forward down the track," she said.

Donations an be made at https://gofund.me/5209e39e.

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