My WalkAide

Hello, my name is Mark Klafter and I am a 66 year old respiratory therapist who lives and works in Norfolk, Nebraska.  In 2008 my spinal cord was permanently damaged by a cervical disc that had bulged out and put direct pressure on the cord.  This affected my right leg and left me with a condition known as foot drop.  Foot drop does not allow my foot and leg to come through in a normal walking motion and causes me to limp and drag my foot along.  This makes it difficult to walk the many miles I must travel during an average 12 hour shift at the local hospital where I work.  It also makes me more of a fall risk as I sometimes stub my toe and stumble.  It also makes it difficult for me to do many activities of life. However, there is a medical device that can help me and this is where you all come in.  It is called the WalkAide.  This device is wrapped around just below the knee and provides electrical stimulation to the peroneal nerve which is in charge of the foot lifting during normal walking.  I am attaching a short youtube video that clearly explains what the WalkAide can do for someone with foot drop.  I did a trial of this device four years ago and it clearly helped me to walk faster and closer to normal.  I could not obtain one as my health insurance company would not cover it then and they still will not today.  I just trialed the device for the last two weeks and I had both a doctor and physcial therapist watch me walk with the device on and with the device off and they strongly affirmed that it improves my walking motion and helps me to lift my foot.  I feel much more stable and confident as I walk with this device on my leg.  I need your help in coming up with the $5000 that it costs.  I would like to gather these funds over the next month, by the end of May.  This would make a big, big difference in my life and I would be forever grateful for any help that you can offer.  Bless you all and thank you.

https://youtu.be/H9M3_0uQ-9I