Medical Expenses for Jeff Thomas - Leg Amputation

My husband, Jeff Thomas, is at Harris Methodist Hospital Forth Worth recovering from an emergency leg surgery.

On Friday, December 30th, he collapsed to the floor at home, and with the help of our 8-year-old son, JJ, was able to call 911. From there, he was rushed to Texas Presbyterian Hospital in Denton where they realized his kidneys were failing him. His blood pressure had dropped significantly, and his lower calf muscle had turned reddish purple. After multiple foot surgeries attempting to repair a broken foot which began back in April, an infection, unbeknownst to us, had made its way up Jeff’s leg and into his bloodstream – to save his life, they were forced to remove his lower leg. There were no surgeons available at the time to perform the amputation, so he was life-flighted to Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth.

Once transferred to Ft. Worth, we realized Jeff’s life was in grave danger. After removing his lower leg, his white blood cell continued to rise (his WBC count was in the 40's and the normal count is between 4 and 11). The surgeon informed us that they must move quickly and go above the knee – if the infection made its way to Jeff’s heart, it would take his life. On Monday, January 2nd, surgeons successfully amputated Jeff’s upper leg. And on Wednesday, he had what surgeons believe to be his final operation where they flushed and closed out the wound.

Jeff is currently in recovery at Harris Methodist Hospital. Despite the unimaginable amount of pain and reality of losing a limb, he remains in great spirits. The fact that my husband is even alive is truly a miracle and he and our family couldn’t be more thankful to God, the incredible surgeons at Harrison Methodist, and our prayer warriors throughout the country.

There is a great amount of unknown and uncertainty as Jeff continues his long road to recovery. He will be out of work for several weeks, possibly months, as he undergoes extensive rehabilitation to get him closer to using a prosthetic leg (6-12 months away). While he is in rehab, our family must work on making the home wheelchair accessible and retrofitting the house. The medical expenses continue to pile up and there is no timetable for our return to work. Any contributions would be greatly appreciated as we try to navigate what our ‘new normal’ looks like.

Our family would like to thank our community and everyone who has reached out offering their prayers and support during this difficult time. The generosity and love felt by friends and family nationwide are truly overwhelming and we could not be more thankful. God Bless.