Genna's Surgery Fund
In LA we know a ton about being looked at, but we don’t always know what it feels like to be seen. Genna is a person who puts time & care into truly seeing people. Even in the days when we all rushed about, here for a moment and then off to the next thing like over-caffeinated hummingbirds, your time with Genna was undoubtedly genuine & healing. Because you knew that when she was looking at you, she was seeing a whole person. And that feeling of being seen, of being heard, of being loved just exactly as you are, would follow you all day. If you’ve spent any time with Genna, you know a person who is willing to bare her very soul to help lead a friend out of darkness and abuse. A woman who will fight to help people see themselves as she sees them. Because we all want to be seen.
Four-ish years ago, Genna started experiencing seemingly random, unconnected symptoms and conditions which have increased in number and severity until nearly every part of her life is affected. After numerous visits to multiple clinics, and repeated pleading with the doctors, the frustration started turning towards despair. Each doctor's visit would be inconclusive, at best, starting with the $20 copay, the $80 blood draw...with the most done by any given docto typically just being told, "we can’t tell anything for certain, make another appointment". She’d been trying for years and were no closer to an answer, but the symptoms were getting worse every day.
After being very reluctant to cause worry in their loved ones, Genna and her partner realized it was time to crowdsource the problem, and shared a little of their struggle with some close friends. Jennifer exhaustively researched online and came to suspect that the source might be her saline breast implants. Though her surgeon years ago insured Genna that saline implants were inert and posed no risk, she remembered that her friend, Susie, had shared on Facebook about her battle with “Breast Implant Illness”, and her exact journey back to health. After one phone call with Susie, Jennifer had no doubt that Breast Implant Illness (BII) was exactly what was draining her of her life. She immediately started educating herself about BII, and was shocked to see just how common these issues were with women who had undergone breast augmentation. Women all around the world are struggling with BII, and the life-saving surgery they needed to remove their implants, and now Genna is one of them.
There is no doubt that Jennifer needs to have explant surgery, removal of her breast implants. Manufacturers of the implants only cover cases requiring implant replacement, but not removal. (Covering explant surgery would require the manufacturers to admit that implants cause illnesses in patients, and doing so would also require the entire industry to warn all patients before they ever got implants in the first place.) Genna has been fortunate to be quickly connected with a specialist for this exact procedure. After the removal, extensive repair physical is required due to the inherent damage done by the implants and their removal. The total cost of this surgery will be $14,500. Jennifer will also require a long recovery period of at least 5 weeks before she can go back to even light work, and another several weeks after that before she can get fully back at it. This fundraising goal is set not only for Jennifer's surgery, but also to help survive during the long recovery process.
Genna has been reluctant to share her illness with anyone, even with those close to her. This combined with the past year of quarantine has caused her to become completely disconnected from all of her family and community. She has had to turn down more and more opportunities to work due to her ever worsening pain, fatigue, and brain fog. This illness has progressed to effect every part of Genna's life. But now that we have answers, we have hope. Genna needs help. So please, help however you can, and even if you're link this fund raiser on your page, you will be helping immensely. Help us get our Genna back to her friends, her family, and into the community that she lives to Love.
FDA Data on Breast Implant Illness
Breast Implant Illness Documentary