Alexander's Journey: Now to Final Surgery 2023

The Story

Update -6/24/24

Hello

Thank you for replying to our message on Go Fund Me.

I attach the financial report for your attention.

Our Physical Therapy and Chiropractic treatment costs would be significantly higher if we didn't have specific financial support outside of this Go Fund Me to help pay for them and additionally one of Alex's therapists provides work for free or on a 'give what you can' basis, which means it is significantly cheaper than normal costs.

We shall send you an e-mail again in August 2027 with the final statement that we anticipate will spend all of the remaining balance.

Thank you once again for supporting our son. He is and will be a force for good in this world.

Kind Regards

Jeff & Maria Goodwin

This journey began over five years ago and through the love and support of friends & strangers (who became friends) we raised a phenomenal amount of money to save Alex's life. He underwent life saving treatment in Kansas City, U.S.A. after his misdiagnosis by the NHS in England. That treatment always assumed a final surgery when Alex reached skeletal maturity but we hoped that the NHS would accept their failings and responsibility and take this on. Sadly they have not. Alex is now in remission from his Ewing's Sarcoma Cancer but requires surgery to remove the telescopic element of his prosthetic femur and replace it with a final adult version. Alex's prosthetic femur can extend no further and he continues to grow. As he grows his spine and hips become more misaligned and his gait worsens. This means he is in considerable discomfort daily and despite his walking aids is in pain when travelling anything other than short distances. This will get worse and we have been told that he may in the future have to return to his wheelchair which is a devastating prospect for a young boy who fought against all odds to get out of it. As a treatment option in the U.K. the NHS have proposed burning his growth plates and pinning his healthy leg to prevent him growing any further and thus alleviate the need for him to have a new prosthesis insert: we have refused to do this!

We have consulted with Kansas University Hospital in Kansas City where he had his original surgery. The original intention was for Alex to undergo this surgery in 2024 however due to his decline and the affect it has on his everyday life they have agreed to bring this final surgery forward to 2023. They will give us a substantial discount and many healthcare professionals in Kansas City have offered to work for free to make this happen. This is why we are once again seeking the help of those who are able to contribute as his family are financially exhausted . Once he has had the surgery and had intensive rehabilitation we hope he will lead a relatively pain free life and may walk without the need for any walking aids whatsoever.

The fundraising needs to start now and incorporates associated needs that we will encounter along the way including a new wheelchair, further aids and adaptations, prior consultations and post operative check ups. He will also receive cancer scans as he is no longer eligible for them under the U.K. protocol. The funds needed will also cover flights, accommodation and general expenses associated with long stays away from home as well as physical therapy and osteopathy treatment to manage his problems prior to the surgery as well as the intensive rehab afterwards.

We have been able to further reduce the target total after further consultation with the Hospitals and Clinics concerned as well as re-evaluating other associated costs (i.e. accommodation). the Total was £250,000 and now has been reduced to £195,000 GBP. We have separated that amount into two Fundraisers (one here in the U.K. managed by us and one in the U.S. managed by our friends Nancy & Charity) as many of our supporters are in the U.S. and that will avoid large currency exchange and administrative fees for them. The U.K. fundraiser stands at £120,000 GBP and the U.S. Fundraiser at $100,000 USD (approximately £75,000 GBP).

A fundraising page relating to this Go Fund Me is on our website (www.alexanders-journey.com) and will provide updates and full transparency of income and expenditure to provide reassurance and accountability. A more detailed breakdown will appear on the website also as well as updates on his progress. We will also obviously use his social media sites on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram as usual to ensure his supporters are up to date on his predicament and progress. Alex is a force for good in this world and it is a better place for him being in it. Dum Spiro Spero.

#AlexandersJourney #AlexsGoFundMe #DumSpiroSpero #AlexsFinalSurgery2023 #ProtectNature #AJLegacy #CancerRehab #ChildhoodCancer