Medical expenses for Nelson Walker’s amputation

Hi, my name is Liz. I’m fundraising to ask for help covering medical expenses related to my husband (Nelson Walker) having his leg amputated last month.

Nelson and I have been together almost 12 years now. We have 2 kids together - our 15 year old daughter and our 8 year old son.

Nelson has struggled with diabetes for quite a few years now. A few months back, he developed a pressure ulcer on his foot. It was being managed, but - at the end of January - he unexpectedly contracted an aggressive form of flesh-eating bacteria known as Necrotizing Fasciitis. It entered his body through the sore on his foot. Within 3 days, he was rushed to Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge MA, where they told him he would die unless they performed an emergency amputation on his leg. Within 4 hours, the initial surgery was complete - but the struggles were still only beginning …

Nelson spent the next 5 weeks in the hospital. During that time, he had to undergo a second surgery to remove more of his leg. He was in ICU for the first 3 weeks, as they were unsure if his body would even be able to recover from the infection.

Thankfully, Nelson was able to go to rehab after 5 weeks and he is back home with us now. However, as we try to piece our lives back together, we are now faced with this new reality & the challenges that come along with it …

Nelson was out of work this entire time, so the bills and expenses are really starting to become overwhelming. We are also faced with a great deal of medical expenses, co-payments, equipment that needs to be purchased, etc. Additionally, we are looking at having to modify our home in ways that we never expected, to help give Nelson as much independence and mobility as possible - from shower chairs to safety railings and everything in between.

Ultimately, our goal is for Nelson to get a prosthetic leg, which will allow him to return to work and start getting back to his normal way of life more and more. But unfortunately that process is both time consuming and expensive.

To make matters worse, Nelson had started a new job just a couple of weeks before this all happened, and we had moved the month prior to that, which means we haven’t been able to receive help from any disability benefits from his job or the state.

One thing I know about Nelson is that he has always given the shirt off his back to anyone who was ever in need. His friends have always been able to call on him if they need something. Now we find ourselves in the position of needing some help - so that we can get out from under all these expenses, get him his prosthetic leg, modify our home so that he can regain his independence and mobility, and get back to living our lives again. We know times are tough for everyone - anything you can give us very much appreciated. Even if it’s kind words or a positive message, I know he would love to hear from you! Best wishes from my family to yours ❤️❤️