Wound Vac for Christopher

As many of you know, Christopher was in a bike accident in May and suffered a severe knee injury. In order to prevent a potentially disastrous infection over the coming 6-8 months of healing, his doctors prescribed a "wound vac" (technically, Negative Pressure Wound Therapy) and even removed live tissue from his knee in preparation for this treatment.

Unfortunately, due to a sneaky clause buried in the fine print of his employer's insurance - which no one has yet been allowed to read in full - Kaiser is denying treatment, leaving Christopher with a large open wound that severely impedes his mobility and quality of life, and could potentially lead to a dangerous infection. 

Chris's doctors have agreed to provide care if we are able to purchase a wound vac on our own. While these units run in the tens of thousands of dollars direct to hospitals, they can be found used on eBay for about $800. He will also need specialty dressings and trained nurses to change them out, to the tune of $180 a week. 

With this equipment, the healing time will be cut in half and he will no longer be confined to the house to change dressings in a painful procedure three times per day. He will also be at much lower risk of infection that could cause him to lose his leg.

We are trying to raise $4000 to cover a used machine and 4 months of treatment. If we aren't able to meet our goal, any money raised will go toward existing medical expenses such as copays, bandages, and emergency room/ambulance fees.

Finally, this has been a tough and isolating experience, so visits, calls, and emails would be *deeply* appreciated.