Help Get Jeff Weiss Back on His Foot

Meet my buddy, Jeff Weiss. Father of three. Friend to many. His mom always used to say that if Jeff didn't have bad luck, he wouldn't have any luck at all. And boy has he had a run of it in recent years. In the summer of 2018, he banged his left foot on a table while getting ready for work. Over the course of the next few days, it would ache and throb during the workday, and get somewhat better when he was able to tend to it and elevate it at home. He didn't know it at the time, but infection had already set in, and it got worse in a hurry.

A trip to his doctor turned into a trip to the ER, and before he knew it, he was being prepped for surgery. Gaseous gangrene had taken hold in the cut, and doctors were forced to amputate his pinky toe and the outer edge of his foot to stop the spread. During this process, Jeff also found out that he had undiagnosed type 2 diabetes, and poor circulation in his leg was what had allowed the infection to take root in the first place. Doctors performed an arterial bypass to improve blood flow and promote healing. But it wasn't enough.

About two months after his first surgery, he was back in the hospital again. Another toe was turning black. This time, the surgical team took the entire front half of his foot, to be sure that any remaining infected tissue was gone. They also performed an arterial transplant from his arm to his leg, because blood flow was still the primary issue stalling the healing process.

So far, Jeff has had over a dozen surgeries, including additional bone removal, skin grafts, arterial stents, fusing of his ankle bones for stability along with a metal plate, and later removal of that metal plate when it broke through the skin on the bottom of his foot and threatened reinfection. Not to mention months in the hospital, hyperbaric chamber treatments, regular visits to the wound care center, and more.

Jeff not only lost half of his foot, but also his livelihood. Mobility was central to his job, and when he could no longer walk, he could no longer work. He went on disability, but that eventually lapsed, followed by his insurance coverage. He spent the better part of a year treading water without any means to advance his treatments, until he was finally able to get on Medicaid towards the end of 2021. It is now the beginning of 2023, and while there has been some progress, Jeff still has a long way to go.

The current situation for Jeff is heartbreaking. For several years now, he has been struggling to make ends meet with no steady income. He has depleted his savings, and the inflation of recent years has only worsened his financial woes. If it hadn't been for stimulus checks and the kindness of loved ones, he would have lost everything by now. Each month, Jeff is faced with impossible choices about which bills to pay, and the constant threat of shutoff or forfeiture looms over his head.

I've started this GoFundMe in the hopes of easing the burden for Jeff and his loved ones, and also to reach out to anyone who may be able to make a difference in the life of someone who deserves to have some good luck for a change.

The funds will go towards ongoing treatment, food, utilities, and mortgage, until Jeff is able to return to work or qualify for permanent disability coverage. If you've made it this far, please consider contributing or sharing this fundraiser with others. Any help you're willing to provide is much appreciated!