Support Duncan's Journey to Walk Again After Surgery

Hi! My name is Nicki Melody, and I am raising funds for my lifelong friend Michelle Lorenzen's family. Specifically, I am raising funds for her 9-year-old son, Duncan. In January, Duncan will be having a dual tibial derotation surgery. This means he will have both legs detached, then the bones will be sawed, rotated, have a rod attached to keep them straight, they will be re-attached, and then both legs will be in casts.

Following the procedure, he will be casted and unable to bear weight. He will go home for a month and then will be admitted to Shirley Ryan Ability Center for 3-4 weeks to re-learn how to walk.

Duncan was born with carnitine deficiency and mitochondrial disease. His body cannot reproduce energy the way a typical person's body can. His muscles have struggled to keep his legs pointing forward.

He has had numerous surgeries and procedures, takes several medications, attends physical and occupational therapy, and goes to the pain clinic at Shirley Ryan Ability Clinic in Chicago. Duncan wears leg braces and twister cables, and he needs his wheelchair for long days filled with walking.

Duncan has never let this stop him. He plays sports, sings in choir, loves art club, goes to summer camp, and plays "just like my friends." Duncan is exhausted by the end of the day, but this does not stop him from trying to do it all.

My best friend, Michelle, and her husband, Jeff Bryan, have supported and advocated for Duncan since he started PT when he was a few months old. They have held his hand during surgery and therapy, and they have advocated for diagnostics until there was an answer just a few years ago. If you know Michelle, you know she embodies the idea of a redheaded, Southside of Chicago girl with tons of fight. And those doctors didn't stand a chance.

Michelle and Jeff's advocating has gotten Duncan's needs met. And then there is the financial aspect of a child having 9 specialists, plus ancillary services. Both Michelle and Jeff have always worked 2 jobs apiece to provide for Duncan and their other 3 children.

Now, Michelle and Jeff need some help. Jeff has been out of work since June. He has been door dashing for extra cash. Michelle has been adjuncting at Lewis University, providing domestic abuse services at Safe Journeys, IL, and working weekends at Bath and Body Works. In addition, she is completing her MSW and interning at Lightways Hospice in Joliet in the Grief Department.

Duncan's surgery is very expensive, and he needs his parents with him to recover. I am asking that you consider helping their family out financially at this time. They've never had a GoFundMe because they would just work more to provide what their family needed. Now, they need to pay their bills (which they are behind on some of them), but also be not only with Duncan, but also with Rose, their 12-year-old daughter.

$12,000 may seem like a lot of money. But, keep in mind that he is having surgery that requires at least 1 month in the hospital to recover. They are an amazing family who is finally admitting that this surgery will stretch them too thin. Thank you for your support and donations.