An Abbotsford, B.C., man is selling everything he has in order to pay for a $250,000 surgery in the United States that he hopes will finally end his daily headaches.

Tom Kettering says he has been living with chronic migraines for 20 years. The headaches he experiences every day cause intense pain, a numb face, and sore eyes. And, he says, they recently became worse.

"It feels like someone's got a compressor and they're like expanding a balloon in your head," he told CTV Vancouver, adding that he spends most of his day in a dark room with sunglasses on.

A brain scan has shown that he has a benign, pineal gland cyst, which is a fluid-filled sac near the centre of his brain. Kettering believes it could be the cause of his recent problems.

Since it isn't cancerous, doctors have told him they can't recommend him as a candidate for surgery.

In a statement, the B.C. Ministry of Health said that "the Medical Services Plan does not cover any procedure, in the province or outside of it, unless the patient’s attending doctor recommends it."

The situation has left Kettering's wife, Christina Jones, distraught.

"It’s been horrible to watch him go through the pain and not be able to help," said Jones.

"His life has completely changed, and he’s getting worse and worse. He can’t do anything, he can’t function properly."

The couple has already sold off many of their possessions, taken out a loan and turned to fundraising through a GoFundMe.com page to pay for the $250,000 surgery.

The couple took inspiration from Kristina Waldmann, a Calgary student, who was also diagnosed with a pineal gland cyst.

"I had a headache for three years non-stop," she says. "It felt like a torturous and slow death."

When her Canadian neurosurgeon also refused to operate, her parents mortgaged their house and fundraised to pay for the $100,000 surgery in Houston eight months ago. To Waldmann's relief, after the surgery, her pain stopped.

"When I realized the symptoms were gone, I was really relieved because part of me was worried this wasn't the answer," she said.

Jones says Kettering is hopeful that the surgery will work for him too.

“You see the success rate from other people and you think well, how do you not try?” she says.

Kettering isn't sure if the cyst is the root of his problems, but he’s hoping for a similar outcome. His surgery is booked for Saturday in Los Angeles.

"It's not even about the money anymore," he says. "It's about getting it done and if it works, then I get back to life."

With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Shannon Paterson