Noah's Leg Lengthening Journey

Noah McNeill is a 15-year-old survivor of a near fatal automobile accident! The accident occurred when Noah was 5, while he was on his way home from his local school, while he and his family were living in Germany. Noah had to be cut from the school commuter van, and was life-flighted to the nearest hospital, where he remained for weeks. From the accident, Noah suffered a severe traumatic brain injury, along with many broken bones on the left side of his body. His femur was broken in two places, which resulted in a damaged growth plate, causing his left femur to stop growing. Now, 10 years later, Noah had his first leg lengthening surgery in 2022, and now is in need of his second surgery. Noah started his first surgery with a leg length discrepancy of nearly 10 cm (~4 inches). He thankfully was able to gain 6cm in length from his first surgery. With the remaining discrepancy of 4cm, along with his continued growth over the past two years, he now has a discrepancy of 7cm (~2.76 inches). Without Noah's leg lengthening surgeries to correct this, he was projected to have a 12 cm discrepancy in adulthood, which would not only be painful, but be extremely difficult to navigate daily life. Noah's leg lengthening journey to lengthen his femur is taking place at the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas, Texas. The surgery and recovery period for each surgery will take almost a full year to complete. For the first few months after each surgery, Noah will have to reside in Dallas for daily lengthening, physical therapy, and weekly appointments at the hospital. Here is a rough timeline of the long journey Noah and his family are embarking this time: Very Minimal Activity & Weight bearing Stages (1-3): Phase 1: Surgery, with ~1-2 nights in hospital (May 23-24, 2024) Phase 2: Leg lengthening, 6-8 weeks (May – July 2024) Phase 3: Consolidation (fuse bone together), 4-6 months (July – December 2024) Phase 4: Recovery & Strengthening (physical therapy), TBD Phase 5: Rod & Screw Removal w/ 6 weeks of minimal activity and load bearing to allow bone to fill in screw holes, (~May 2025) The surgery itself will be a massive undertaking, not only for Noah, but also for his entire family. It's unimaginable the journey this family is about to begin together, while also being physically separated by 1000+ miles. This page was created in order for all of us to rally together to help them from near and far in every way possible. They say it takes a village, and this is one of those times that we need to be that village for the McNeills. I will be working with the McNeills to keep their needs posted and current as they arise. Through this site, we are able to help Noah and his family in numerous ways (as they support him), whether it be through kind words of encouragement, meals, travel support (flights and hotels), activities for Noah while he is bedridden, or even just helping financially. No matter how you choose to help, your kindness and generosity is greatly appreciated! Thank you also for keeping Noah, his family, and his doctors in your prayers as they begin this journey! We trust he is in God’s hands, and he will have a full and complete recovery! Thank you for being a part of Noah’s village and his journey! This page will also serve as a tool to keep all of you (Noah’s village) updated on his journey! We hope this will keep you all informed, while also allowing Noah’s family to be able to focus on his care and support!