Helping Michelle walk again

Phil Claire Gargan is organizing this fundraiser.

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Michelle Fulton our precious daughter has Charcot Marie Tooth ( CMT ) disease as most of you are aware. Google it if you want more info. This has greatly affected her mobility among many other side effects. She has had 29 surgeries over her life as a result. A few months back her surgeons told her that they could no longer save her foot, and a below-knee amputation was realistically the only option. As you can imagine this was not an easy decision to make.

This was done on 26th July this year and went as well as we could have hoped for. In November Michelle bravely took herself off to Cape Town to visit the prosthetist and she cobbled together various spare parts and made her a temporary “new leg”. On the 15th Nov Michelle walked for the first time in years using both feet - new and old! So exciting.

Now Michelle is scheduled to have her hopefully final surgery ( her 30th) to give her a total knee replacement. This will again be in Cape Town with a specialist surgeon. It is technically quite complex to do a knee replacement on an amputee for obvious reasons. I am traveling to Cape Town to support her through that procedure.

There will be a significant recovery and physiotherapy period. Then in March she will come back to Cape Town for her proper new leg to be made and fitted. Following up will be regular trips to Cape Town to adjust and tweak this over 2024.

Michelle has just paid the deposit for her January surgery - $9 000. Her new leg will be a similar amount again.. Coupled with the actual medical expenses is the logistical cost of international travel, transport etc etc.

With no medical insurance due to CMT’s pre-existing condition, the financial burden is substantial. Your support, whether through sharing, prayers, or contributions, will help Michelle navigate these challenges and embrace a more mobile and fulfilling life. From the depths of our hearts, thank you for considering and supporting Michelle’s journey.