Help Lise Stand On Her Own Two Feet Again

My name is Lise Husted, and I appreciate you taking a moment to read my story. I have been living with Parkinson's disease since the age of 47, about twenty years before the average person develops signs of this neurologically degenerative condition for which there is no cure (yet). The deep brain stimulation surgery I received in 2022 helped me manage some of my movement-related symptoms, but unfortunately my right foot remains frozen with severe dystonia. This has made it increasingly difficult to walk, garden or grandparent, and has forced me to prematurely shut down the interior design business I founded in 1980. To call this frustrating and disappointing would be an understatement, and not at all how I pictured my third act of life to begin.

Luckily some hope has emerged as I have finally met an excellent surgeon who is confident he can operate on the tendons in my foot and restore some of its function if all goes to plan. In my post-surgical recovery I will need to have NO weight bearing on the foot for about 2 months, and minimal weight on it for the remainder of the year. This will take special durable medical equipment, most of which is not covered by MediCare. This length of recovery doesn’t make financial sense to rent the equipment, so I will need to purchase most of it. My family and I have set up a GoFundMe to help cover these costs. The surgery is currently scheduled for May 19th. Donations of any size are deeply appreciated as I try to literally get back on my own two feet again.