In October of 2013 I went through an emergency surgery to get my appendix out. However, it had been ruptured for 7 days and my body was only a few hours from giving up due to sepsis before I was taken to the hospital. I was lucky to have my surgery when I did, but it left me with a giant scar across my stomach because the only way they could get it out, unfortunately, was from an incision from my bellybutton to my pelvis. They left it open to heal instead of stitching me up because there were abscesses all throughout my abdomen, and because of this, the scar healed inwards, resulting in a very odd and distorted scar that has robbed me of feeling pretty since I was a teenager. Looking at it for all these years has severely affected my mental health, and though I give each day my best, I am drained of all my confidence each time I see my scar. It is a constant reminder of the trauma I went through during that time of my life, and the scar is the only thing keeping me from completely moving on. Recently, I thought that I finally had the chance to get the scar off of my body, but my insurance denied my request for stomach reconstruction because they said it was “cosmetic” and therefore not important enough to be covered. I was crushed. The removal of this scar is why I have started up this fundraiser, and though all odds seem to be against me right now, I hope that with a little help, I can finally get the surgery I need and start looking at myself in the mirror with confidence again. Thank you to anybody that shares or make a contribution, it means more to me than you know. ❤️

-Bailey Hemmingsen