A Leg to Stand On

I'd like you to take a second and imagine what it would be like if you only had one leg to stand on. Literally. Pseudarthrosis: An abnormal union formed by fibrosis tissue between parts of a bone that has fractured, usually spontaneously, due to congenital weakness. My mother has battled with pseudarthrosis of the tibia in her left leg for basically her entire life. Her childhood consisted of wheelchairs and crutches and wishing she could just run and play with the other kids. She has broken her leg over a dozen times and had countless surgeries preformed to try and fix the problem, nothing worked. Finally, five years ago, after only a few months in a new home, in a new state, my mothers leg broke for the final time. I remember the day perfectly. It was the middle of July and I was enjoying my summer vacation before going into my freshman year of high school. My mother had stayed home from work sick with a stomach bug, and was downstairs cleaning. Suddenly, there was a loud cracking sound, almost as if a tree branch broke, and I heard my mother scream. I ran downstairs to find her sitting by the front door. She had gone up on her toes to dust the top of the door frame and her tibia shattered under her weight. Of course I immediately had a full blown panic attack, knowing already what would happen next, but my mother stayed completely calm. In retrospect, I can't even imagine the kind of pain she must have been in, and I couldn't be more grateful to her for attempting to stay calm and collected just for me. But then again, that's my mom. Once I called 9-1-1 and the paramedics were on their way I remember my mother saying to me, "We just have to find a way to laugh about this, okay? It's going to be okay, I promise." Of course, at that point I had already realized that she would not be able to keep her leg. Once we reached the hospital and they got x-rays of her tibia and determined for sure it had been a fracture, my mother told the doctors that they needed to go ahead and take the leg. It was the bravest decision I think I've ever seen anyone make. The bone was shattered and there really wasn't any hope for repair, and if, by some miracle, there could be a repair, she would just spend the next half of her life worrying about when it would break again. An amputation was the best choice. It has been five years and my mother has thrived with her new leg, accomplishing things we never thought possible. But this leads me to the reason I'm creating the GoFundMe; a new leg is expensive. Currently, my mother is walking on the same leg she started on five years ago. This leg has been through quite a bit and no longer works for her. It is broken at the foot, and the socket is too large its now causing her pain to walk with. She needs a new leg. But a new leg costs money. Lots of money. For a standard leg, it would cost somewhere around $5,000. I have set the goal at $10,000 and here is why; My mother has never had a "pretty" leg. The leg she grew up with endured so many surgeries and casts, it stunted its growth and caused visible scars that she had to carry around with her whole life. Her "new leg" is not ugly, however it is metal and obnoxious. And although I know she is grateful to be able to have a leg at all, I would like to raise enough money to get her a cosmetic leg, so for the first time in her life she can have two "pretty" legs. She deserves it. Susan Keegan has never been one to ask for help, which is why I'm doing it for her. She is a selfless, wonderful woman and deserves a leg to stand on. Please donate and share this as much as possible with everyone you know. Thank you!