A Milwaukee man has had a transformative surgery funded by kind-hearted strangers to remove 40 pounds of extra flesh from his neck.
Keith Crowell, 56, started dealing with the keloid, a type of scar that heals improperly, after getting cut on his neck at a barber shop 13 years ago.
He lost a battle with his insurance company to pay for the surgery, but after a segment about his ordeal aired on Fox 6, viewers responded by donating more than $25,000 to help him using Go Fund Me.
“I feel a lot lighter. It’s a lot of weight off my shoulders,” Crowell told Fox 6.
“I’m energetic. I feel more of myself. I feel more alive,” he added.
Crowell traveled to a specialist doctor in New York using the donated funds. The procedure to remove the keloid was performed in two steps: removal and radiation.
Crowell underwent the first step in May and returned to New York for the final step in July.
Doctors say that the scars will take some time to fade. Meanwhile, there is a 96 percent chance that the keloid will not return.
Crowell works as a security guard at a casino. Since his transformative surgery he has been advocating for others living with keloids.
“My burden is over with,” Crowell said. “I can sleep at night. I can eat.”
Crowell overflowed with gratefulness to the people who helped him.
“Thank you for your support and thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you’ve done for me,” Crowell said.
