Several weeks ago, my back went out and I saw a new chiropractor. During the exam, an X-ray revealed something I never expected: a very large gallstone, even though I’ve never had a single symptom.

A follow-up doctor told me my only option was to remove my gallbladder entirely. But since my new comprehensive insurance doesn’t kick in until January, I had time to look into alternatives.

That’s when I found Dr. Hakan Akıncı in Istanbul, a surgeon who performs a minimally invasive, gallbladder-preserving procedure for the small percentage of people whose gallbladder is still healthy enough to function. Only 10–15% of patients qualify—and to my surprise, my scans and bloodwork showed that I am one of them.

Unlike older techniques that had high recurrence rates, Dr. Akıncı’s modern approach has extremely low recurrence (about 1.2%) and a much faster recovery. He recently published his results on the NIH website and has been personally reviewing my case. I now have a surgery date for early February 2026.

The total cost for the procedure, travel, recovery abroad, and pet care is about $9,000, plus airfare. I’m hoping to raise at least half of that.

This isn’t just about saving an organ. A quicker, gentler recovery is essential because I’m the sole caregiver for several animals, including two who are rear-paralyzed—my cat Scout and my dog Cassie. They rely on me to manually express their bladders multiple times a day. Healing fast means I can return to them safely and without compromising their wellbeing.

Traveling across the world in winter for surgery is daunting, but I truly believe this is the best path for a healthy outcome.

If you’re able to help in any way, I would be deeply grateful. Your support makes a real difference for me—and for the animals who depend on me every single day.