Willem needs new prosthetic legs

Hi everyone,

I'm Willem, a trans guy and double-leg amputee living in New York. I was in a serious accident five years ago and currently use prosthetic legs to get around, which lets me lead a happy and fruitful life in NYC, something I'm phenomenally lucky to be able to do.

However, prosthetic legs need replacing every 3-5 years, and I'm very overdue for a new pair – I'm currently at risk of having one or both of my feet breaking from overuse, and the legs' inner liners are deteriorating rapidly to the point where the legs often begin sliding off, making it difficult and stressful to get around and take care of day-to-day tasks.

I was unfortunately affected by the mass tech layoffs recently and am searching for a new job; I currently have COBRA insurance coverage, which is a continuation of the insurance provided by my old job. The caveat is that my prosthetist doesn't accept the insurance that COBRA is an extension of (and the insurance itself won't cover a new pair anyways!), which means a new pair of legs is going to set me back $40,377.

I'm very lucky to be able to cover a good part of this, but needless to say $40k is a lot – ideally I'd be able to find a new job sooner than later and use its insurance coverage to pay for my legs, but job searching has been difficult, and my legs are deteriorating to the point where the need for a new pair is getting urgent.

Any help, even if it's a single dollar or a share, is deeply appreciated. Any extra funds will be directly redistributed to others in need. Big love to you all and thanks so much :)