My son Donavan has LCPD, Legg Calve Perthes disease, http://www.perthesnz.bravehost.com/ he is 14 years old. He has been battling this selfish and ruthless disease for almost 7 years. Donavan developed Perthes disease at age 8. He is now considered at the age of "maturity" and our local surgeon wants to put 2 screws in his good legs knee, and stunt its growth to allow the bad leg to catch up because Donavan has an LLD (leg length discrepancy). Many believe that procedure to be old school and ineffective as it does not always stop growth. Because of this leg length discrepancy that Donavan has had for years, he has a dramatic limp that is so uneven he requires a lift in his shoe to help slow down the damage to his spine and knees. His spine is taking a real beating right now.
We sought a second opinion, in Baltimore Maryland from a Dr.Shawn Standard at Sinai Hospital of advanced Orthopedics and Limb Lengthening. Dr.Standard is a LCPD specialist who treats all different ages of Perthes sufferers who have leg length discrepancies. He is a frontier in the medical Perthes community for conducting more humane and successful treatments of Perthes. After an all-day evaluation full of further testing, x-rays and calculations while we were there, Dr. Standard felt confidently that there is no rush to stunt Donavan’s growth at 14! He stated it was much more important to address Donavan’s prior failed osteotomy, where his femoral head (hip joint (ball) fits into the socket) is not contained. It is large and severely misshapen, causing it to not glide or rotates well, which prevents Donavan from having much needed mobility and flexibility! Also to stabilize his hip and pelvic muscular structure. This is what holds my boy up, after all! Dr. Standard will perform a Left Femoral Dislocating, reshaping and restorative Femoral Osteotomy on Donavan. This is a massive surgery. It requires us to be in Baltimore for a minimum of 2 weeks post operatively providing there is no complication during or immediately after surgery. Donavan will be braced and immobilized for 3 months with no weight bearing, making sure that the hip not pull back out and heal well. Then it will be constant hydro and land physical therapy for a year, to strengthen him enough to learn to walk again.
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Donavan & Dr.Shawn Standard |
We ask your donation, to assist us in achieving this trip for surgery and aftercare for Donavan. Donavan has Tricare medical insurance. We have just been given the go ahead to book the surgery and nothing more. We will need to travel from Beaufort, S.C. to Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland and back. Our family is asking for your donations for the out of pocket expenses of travel, temporary lodging for 2 weeks,food,co-pays, Rx's, wheelchair, walker, crutches, physical therapy and additional fee's Tricare denies. Our family’s conservative estimate of these expenses is a minimum of $20,000. PLEASE do not feel discouraged if you cannot afford to donate to Donavan, but pass along this story link to anyone you feel may be capable of helping us to help him.
Donavan's lifelong dream has been to be capable of playing football. We strive for this every single day! He was kept from all sports beginning at the age of 8 years old, by the intense pain of this disease, which took over his entire childhood and kept him from even walking for months on end. Donavan is approaching high school this fall and we pray for him a new lease on life that he be deserved an opportunity at the chance of living life as a normal 14 year old. We welcome any questions to mcleve@gmail.com
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ahipfordonavan
P.O. Box 382
Port Royal, S.C. 29935
