Hi all, I’m Sara and I’d like you to meet Chelsea. She is a 37 year old mom of one who has the biggest heart and would do anything for anyone.

Chelsea has been living with chronic back pain since January 2020. Neurosurgeons she has seen locally have advised fusion in her back, which is a great fix for many, but the younger you are, the higher your risk of developing adjacent segment disease. This means you have a higher chance of problems with the discs in your back above and/or below where your back is fused, and that means more surgeries down the road.

Chelsea has been identified as a candidate to receive an artificial disc replacement (ADR) instead of fusion. An artificial disc replacement gets to the root of the problem and is not a band-aid fix, like fusion would be for her. An artificial disc truly mimics a human disc, so no additional stress is placed on the discs above or below where the artificial disc is.

The surgeon and medical team who can perform this procedure for Chelsea are in Germany and that’s where you come in! The cost is quite low compared to any surgery and hospital stay in the US, but as Chelsea’s insurance will not cover any of the cost, she needs your help! Anything you are able to donate is greatly appreciated! As an artificial disc replacement recipient myself (from the same German team), I can confidently say how life changing this surgery is, both physically and mentally, and I want nothing more than for Chelsea to get that artificial disc in and get her back back!