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"KEITH LILLY, NEEDS YOUR HELP."
THE FORMER HARLEM, DISTRICT LEADER, 68TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT, LOST HIS LEG, HIS JOB AND HIS MEDICAL INSURANCE DUE TO DIABETES
Excerpted from BY NAYABA ARINDEOTP Editor-at-Large Our Times Press, Curated by Roz Shepard. To Support Keith Lilly Click Here
Keith Lilly, the popular former Harlem District Leader, 68th Assembly District, told Our Time Press that last July his lower left leg was amputated after 10 years of living with diabetes.
It all started, he said, with a small hole in his foot, which he did not feel because of his neuropathy. “I didn’t know where the hole came from, but I didn’t think anything of it. I cleaned it out, put a band-aid on, and a few days passed, and the hole started to get larger.”
A week later, he went to the hospital as the wound was not healing, “and my toes were swollen. So I went, they gave me antibiotics, and sent me home. But the hole got larger. But I had no symptoms of a fever, so I didn’t know I had an infection.
There was no numbness, no pain, just swelling and the hole getting larger.”
But then Mr. Lilly said he began losing balance. “I was finding it difficult to walk. I went back and that’s when they kept me and told me that I had an infection. I was in Mount Sinai. They cut a couple of toes off, to [stop] the infection from creeping up. Their claim was, ‘We think we are going to have to cut further because we don’t want the infection to get further up the leg.”
Then Mr. Lilly said medics returned and said that they would have to take his left foot.
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“I was skeptical and asked for a second opinion. But it was from the same people in the cardiovascular department that came, and they said the same thing the other doctors were saying. ‘If you want to save your life, we believe that we should cut below the knee or the entire foot, as opposed to half the foot.’, We went back and forth. Finally, I agreed for them to take half the foot, under the assumption that they were saving me from the infection going further up my body.”
Mr. Lilly’s leg was cut from the knee down. Our Time Press reached out to Mount Sinai but did not get a response by press time. Mr. Lilly has been in rehab since July 2023, and is learning to walk with a new prosthesis, and uses a wheelchair and scooter.
With reference to people only responding to medical challenges when the issue becomes chronic, Mr. Lilly said. “That’s very true. You just don’t know. It’s really scary too, because you could be going through a series of things in your body, but, until something painful happens like neuropathy or your hands are tingling with pain, you react off of that. But. If none of that is happening it doesn’t suggest that your AIC is not high, because mine was over 12.”
He was eating sweets, he said, but lots of pasta and rice. “People don’t realize that if you don’t eat cake, or cookies, or candy that you’re [still not] alright. But a lot of it is the rice, the bread – all that turns into sugar.”
The 57-year-old father of one daughter, advised anyone with high blood pressure to, “Bring it down, because to have high levels is extremely dangerous. Check your AIC as much as possible to check that it is at normal levels. I brought mine down to under 6,” being in rehab.
“I’m not eating the way I ate. I eat smaller portions. Don’t drink sodas, or juice. I’m taking insulin.
As he shows appreciation for a GoFundme which is helping him raise monies to adapt to his new life with a prosthesis, eternal activist Mr. Lilly told Our TimePress, “I am realizing that so many community stores are not handicapped-accessible. I want to advocate for diabetics, and the handicapped on an array of issues.”
“Black health is at stake on all levels, whether it’s Black wealth, Black physical health, Black mental health, Black financial health – all of this affects our overall Black health,” said Enid Knight.
Please support Keith Lilly in his quest to rebuild his life. He lost his leg, job and his medical insurance. Keith is an advocate for communities of color and the issues they face. Your financial support will assist Mr. Lilly, in rebuilding his life so he can focus on implementing solutions that will continue to be a voice to help improve the quality of life in underserved communities.
Click here for the: KEITH LILLY - GO FUND ME campaign.
Click here for the: KEITH LILLY - GO FUND ME campaign.
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While there are brilliant persons on the Autism Spectrum celebrated today, very little media stories focus on people, especially women of color. Our co-publisher's new bio-pic "nZinga's Spectrum In 3D," is a moving and inspirational documentary on how a young Black woman RISES to overcome her challenges.
nZinga Austin is also the Co-publisher of Our Black News Scoop and Southeast Queens Scoop. The documentary of about 1/2 hr long is getting rave reviews.
Checkout Nzinga's Spectrum in 3D now Click Here. Please share
Posted by community events coordinator, Nzinga Lonstein Austin, is a prolific blogger who writes on the entertainment industry and issues for people with developmental and physical challenges.She is presently in high school looking to have a career in video, film, and media. You can see more of her entertainment writing on Lonstein Movies.
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