Get Jeff back on both feet!

On July 4, 1967 our son, Jeff Frey was born in St. Mary’s Hospital with severely clubbed feet, which were first casted when  he was just two  weeks old.  He learned to walk in little walking casts at one year. When he as four, his orthopedic,  Dr. Gerald Dales, operated to try to straighten his feet.  We even took him to the Shriner’s Hospital in San Francisco for an evaluation, and were told, “What are you doing here, when you have one of the best doctor’s in the country already treating him in Reno?”  Evidently, however, some of the bones never healed or knitted back together, and as a result, Jeff has had foot pain for his entire life.  Now at 49, arthritis and disconnected bones have escalated the pain to the point he was having extreme difficulty standing of his feet all day as a cabinet maker.  The pain could temporarily  be alleviated by wearing a certain brand of costly hiking boots, which broke down within a week.  He broke several bones in his foot while taking his kids fishing, and continued to walk on it for a year, with excruciating  pain.  The best foot orthopedic doc in Reno , told him nothing meaningful could be done.  Jeff kept saying “Just amputate, so I can get on with my life.”  Finally, he was referred to a young podiatrist in Sparks, Dr. Douglas Doxie, who specializes in correcting adult deformities of the foot.  Jeff waited until December 4, 2015 to have his first foot surgery done, at his employer’s request, as this was their slow time.  He expected to be off work for about a total of 4 months, ( 2  months per foot.) However, after the first surgery his bones never knitted back together, instead leaving a big painful gap.  Dr. Doxie had requested Jeff’s insurance to pay for a bone growth machine, before the first surgery, but they declined.  Four months later, in March, Jeff had to have that foot operated on again, this time with a wedge cut from his heel  bone installed in the gap, and his Achilles tendon extended further.  Dr. Doxie was this time able to get the distributor of the bone growth machine to loan it to Jeff.  In July, Jeff was finally able to begin walking on his right foot, albeit, with considerable swelling walking any distance.  Determined to return to work as soon as possible, Jeff had his left foot operated on, on July 29.  At his point in time, Jeff has been off work for 8 months, and providing this new surgery heals as well as the second operation on his right foot, he is looking at least another 4 months before returning to work.  Jeff’s wife works at an engineering firm, but her income is insufficient to cover their house payment, utilities, food, car insurance, and crucial health insurance.  Luckily, they have no car payments. They have cashed out Traci’s 401K plan, which helped for a few months, but the medical deductibles helped eat up that, too.   They have 2 teenage children to feed and support. Nevada has no state disability insurance, and they have pretty much used all of their resources and some of ours, so any help, to get them through the next few months house payments would be greatly appreciated.  

Jeff is an extremely proud and independent person, and even though he has tried valiantly to make it through this trying, extended ordeal with his chin up, he is now very worried about making his house payments.  All he wants to do is be able to get back to work, asap!!!!

We would so appreaciate your help for this very humble man, I guess at almost 50, I can't say young man.  Jeff is not one to ever ask for help, I am in his behalf.  

Jeff's mom, 
Lynette Frey