Fund a prosthetic foot for William
Donation protected
In September of last year, William was helping a friend move a heavy dresser down a flight of stairs when the friend lost his grip.
The dresser, and William, crashed down the stairs, with the dresser landing on his left foot.
“It tore up my leg pretty bad,” as William describes it.
The hospital x-rayed the foot, put it in a cast, and sent William home to recuperate. Weeks later, William felt severe pain developing in his foot and returned to the hospital. The foot was x-rayed again, no problems were found, and William was sent home. The pain persisted, and William tried another hospital, which also x-rayed the foot, found no problems, and sent him home. The pain worsened.
A third visit returned a different diagnosis: his heel-bone was badly infected, and IV antibiotics were administered.
Over the following months, William spent weeks on and off IV antibiotics. Each time it seemed the infection had been stopped, the pain would return, and treatment would resume. For weeks at a time, William was hospitalized.
In March of 2018, the doctors told William that his heel-bone had been so compromised by the infection and resulting multiple fractures that there was little chance his foot could ever be saved.
William was given a terrible choice:
Amputate below the knee, or keep fighting to save a foot that was all but gone. If he kept fighting, the infection could spread, and he could lose his knee as well as his foot.
William chose below-the-knee amputation.
Since losing his foot, William has struggled. With no health insurance, he applied for disability and medicaid, and was turned down for both. He found an “I-walk” device on Amazon, which allows him to move without crutches, but it is a clumsy and primitive substitute for a prosthetic, which he needs.
A charitable foundation has paid hospital bills totalling $200,000, and William expresses profound gratitude for that.
William still owes about $15,000 in medical bills to outside providers, however, and has no money to buy a proper prosthetic (about $10,000).
Finding steady work, he says, isn’t possible right now. He can’t guarantee a steady level of energy every day; if he works hard for two days, he’s exhausted for the next two. To help make ends meet, he collects scrap metal and sells it to recyclers.
That’s how I met him: I’d posted a broken washing machine on craigslist for free, and he came to pick it up. As we loaded it onto his trailer and sweat dripped from his face, he told me his story, and said, “I’m just trying to keep the house and feed my kids.”
Because of my work as a free-lance photographer and videographer, I offered to help William create a GoFundMe page, and to help spread the word.
He accepted my offer, and we began working together on it.
William has reservations about asking for money from anyone, which I understand. But I also know that if we meet this goal, and his remaining bills are paid, and he can afford a quality prosthetic, it would change his life, and give him a chance to do what he wants: get back to work.
All proceeds go directly to pay for William's prosthetic and remaining hospital bills. The sole beneficiary of this campaign is Kristie Paradis, the "Chief Financial Officer" of the family.
Video #1: "Kids love my nub!" (2 min.)
Video #2: William explains how it's possible to spend weeks in the hospital, $230,000, and still lose a foot. Camera-man attempts to master William's "I-Walk" crutch. Spoiler alert: fail! (5 min.)
Video #3: Hanging out with William as he repairs the brakes on his car and has his initial appointment at the prosthetic office. (7 min.)
William greatly appreciates any help you can offer, and hopes you'll share this with others.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
The dresser, and William, crashed down the stairs, with the dresser landing on his left foot.
“It tore up my leg pretty bad,” as William describes it.
The hospital x-rayed the foot, put it in a cast, and sent William home to recuperate. Weeks later, William felt severe pain developing in his foot and returned to the hospital. The foot was x-rayed again, no problems were found, and William was sent home. The pain persisted, and William tried another hospital, which also x-rayed the foot, found no problems, and sent him home. The pain worsened.
A third visit returned a different diagnosis: his heel-bone was badly infected, and IV antibiotics were administered.
Over the following months, William spent weeks on and off IV antibiotics. Each time it seemed the infection had been stopped, the pain would return, and treatment would resume. For weeks at a time, William was hospitalized.
In March of 2018, the doctors told William that his heel-bone had been so compromised by the infection and resulting multiple fractures that there was little chance his foot could ever be saved.
William was given a terrible choice:
Amputate below the knee, or keep fighting to save a foot that was all but gone. If he kept fighting, the infection could spread, and he could lose his knee as well as his foot.
William chose below-the-knee amputation.
Since losing his foot, William has struggled. With no health insurance, he applied for disability and medicaid, and was turned down for both. He found an “I-walk” device on Amazon, which allows him to move without crutches, but it is a clumsy and primitive substitute for a prosthetic, which he needs.
A charitable foundation has paid hospital bills totalling $200,000, and William expresses profound gratitude for that.
William still owes about $15,000 in medical bills to outside providers, however, and has no money to buy a proper prosthetic (about $10,000).
Finding steady work, he says, isn’t possible right now. He can’t guarantee a steady level of energy every day; if he works hard for two days, he’s exhausted for the next two. To help make ends meet, he collects scrap metal and sells it to recyclers.
That’s how I met him: I’d posted a broken washing machine on craigslist for free, and he came to pick it up. As we loaded it onto his trailer and sweat dripped from his face, he told me his story, and said, “I’m just trying to keep the house and feed my kids.”
Because of my work as a free-lance photographer and videographer, I offered to help William create a GoFundMe page, and to help spread the word.
He accepted my offer, and we began working together on it.
William has reservations about asking for money from anyone, which I understand. But I also know that if we meet this goal, and his remaining bills are paid, and he can afford a quality prosthetic, it would change his life, and give him a chance to do what he wants: get back to work.
All proceeds go directly to pay for William's prosthetic and remaining hospital bills. The sole beneficiary of this campaign is Kristie Paradis, the "Chief Financial Officer" of the family.
Video #1: "Kids love my nub!" (2 min.)
Video #2: William explains how it's possible to spend weeks in the hospital, $230,000, and still lose a foot. Camera-man attempts to master William's "I-Walk" crutch. Spoiler alert: fail! (5 min.)
Video #3: Hanging out with William as he repairs the brakes on his car and has his initial appointment at the prosthetic office. (7 min.)
William greatly appreciates any help you can offer, and hopes you'll share this with others.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Organizer and beneficiary
Tim Wiggins
Organizer
Winston-Salem, NC
Kristie Paradis
Beneficiary