As many of you know, Alan lost his right leg to an amputation (aka the "chippity chop") in 2017. Although the reasons may be fuzzy, and the stories you've heard range from a rusty bear trap to a shark attack, it's actually a tad more complex than that, and less exciting. After several failed surgeries and procedures, Alan underwent an amputation to avoid many more lengthy recoveries and severe, unmitigated pain. Several years later he remains the most ridiculous amputee most people have ever met, and has the worst dad jokes possible.

Unfortunately, earlier this year he began experiencing pretty severe foot and ankle pain in his left leg. It's been months of pain medication, ankle injections, opinions and second opinions, ankle braces, and more. He has severe edema, arthritis, and bone spurs, caused by an underlying issue with his ankle joint and enormous flat foot. It has been recommended that he undergo a triple arthrodesis, which is the final surgery that he started with on the right side before needing an amputation so long ago, and has an intense recovery period (12 months), with no guarantee of any success As you can imagine, the thought of a surgery that provides no guarantees and with a history of amputation that could repeat itself, this is pretty terrifying. It's also not sustainable to continue with the current pain management and limited mobility either.

We are excited to have found an alternate option that would allow for a bone marrow transplant and injection to reduce pain and create regenerative growth. This procedure is unfortunately not covered by insurance, which brings us here to ask for community support. As you can imagine, Alan is horrified by the thought of asking for help, and yet, after being someone who has spent years supporting others, I can't think of a more deserving human! Please support this journey as you can, by donating, by sharing the link, etc.