Help Junior Receive The Right Prosthetic

A Youth Advocate and Mentor. A Sports Fan. A Son. A Brother and a Friend

Joshua is known as an enthusiastic, passionate and hardworking young man who has selflessly served his community. He has a heart of gold and his warm spirit can be felt in any room he enters. He also has a heart for youth and has dedicated himself to uplifting them to believe that anything is possible. As he was facing a fight against cancer with his elderly single mother by his side, Joshua’s health was confronted with a condition that was completely unexpected to his family and loved ones.

In the words of Junior, this is his story:

Hi everyone,

My name is Joshua but my family calls me Junior. I have been battling different forms of cancer for the past 5 years. During one of my chemotherapy treatments on November 24th 2020, I was suddenly presented with a flesh eating disease called Necrotizing Fasciitis NF) that started to spread at an extremely rapid rate. Within a couple of hours, my entire left leg was infected. Unfortunately, due to the combination of my chemotherapy and the rapid growth of this condition, the doctors had no choice but to amputate my entire left leg all the way down to my hip bone. The doctors said I am lucky that they caught it when they did or I may not be alive. I am grateful and thankful to be here today. I am still battling other health concerns but will be discharged from the hospital with limited mobility.

My entire life has been surrounded by family, friends and sports. In high school, I played basketball, football and ran track. To further my career, I accepted a basketball scholarship to Rockhurst University. Since my return home, I pride myself on living an active lifestyle and enjoy working with kids. In 2011, I worked with the Canusa Games and assisted youth in preparing for their sports events. I have funded multiple camps and programs for children within my community and hope to continue this dream to help children much like myself have opportunities in the sports world.

To say that this amputation has changed my life is an understatement and this is why I have chosen this platform to try to help me gain some mobility and wellness in my life. I am able to get a prosthetic leg called Cleg 4 which will allow me to get through my everyday functions, but the challenge is overcoming the high financial costs that come with purchasing a prosthetic leg and ongoing treatments. Unfortunately, my family and I simply do not have the funding to purchase it. I have exhausted many avenues from grants to financial assistance with no success. I know this is a lot to ask but any donation will help me accomplish this goal. Thank you in advance for everyone’s tremendous generosity and more importantly, God bless you for your donation towards Junior’s prosthetic leg.

       In spite of this unexpected turn of events in Junior’s life, he continues to maintain a spirit of strength and resilience. He has not lost sight of his purpose and the impact he desires to make in the lives of others. Having the opportunity to walk again with a prosthetic leg will not only strengthen Joshua's role in the community, but it will also provide a valuable opportunity for him to continue the meaningful work that he started in the lives of many youth. With your support, we hope that this chapter in Junior's life will serve as a powerful reminder that dreams are not defined by a person's physical condition.  If you would like to lend a helping hand to Junior's journey of healing, any contribution is more than appreciated. Thank you for your support and kindness.