<div>It's official: I need a new spine! Since having my head pulled off with my spinal column still attached, Mortal Kombat style, and dropping it into a cool robot body apparently isn't possible, a very lovely team of neurosurgeons and nurses are going to remove 3 of the bogus discs in my neck, replace them with durable synthetic spacers, and slap on a titanium bracket and 8 screws to keep everything nice and stable. 
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<div>This whole situation is painful, overwhelming, and expensive. The procedure, anesthesia, and resulting inpatient treatment alone costs around $150K. The recovery process requires things like cervical collars, stabilizing pillows, wound care, and a fun assortment of drugs and medical devices as I spend the first 4-6 weeks following surgery recovering.
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<div>I'm lucky (for lack of a better word) to have insurance that will cover most of the hospital related costs. We're on our own for everything not covered, though. On top of whatever out-of-pocket expenses I incur from surgery/hospitalization, I'm also dedicating my entire summer to recovery, which means I'll be unable to do any extra work or catch up on art to supplement our income like I normally do in the summer. The costs for meals and care supplies keep going up. I have the most amazing support system at home, and I would love to take as much of the financial burden of my care off their shoulders as possible.
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<div>Poppy, Ryan, and I appreciate you all so much for reading this far and considering chipping in!
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Anonymous

Shasta Zielke

Timothy Galligan

Angelique McAlpine

Charlie Brigden

Krystle Nicole Simpson

Natalie Moreland

William Dass

Ashley Nadeau

Tiffany Gonzales

Anne McAbata

Janeen McAbata

Victoria Peoples

Em's New Neck

Em's New Neck

Still $3,000 to go. Help us build momentum.