Help Jill Receive A Life Changing Surgery

My sister, Jillian, is the kindest and most compassionate person I know, and if you have the privilege of knowing her, you know firsthand that this is true. But what you might not know is that she is also incredibly courageous. Nine years ago, Jill was hospitalized while seven months pregnant with an unknown condition. After having an emergency c-section at 27 weeks, it was found out that she had a pheochromocytoma on her adrenal glade. If you haven't heard of that before, you are not alone. All of the doctors we encountered back then said it was very rare, and they had only read about it in textbooks. In short, this is a benign tumor that affects your adrenal function causing random surges of adrenaline through your body. These surges come at random times, feel like a heart attack, and put a lot of strain on her heart and body. The tumor was removed during this time, and we thought all was well until Jill started having more and more health issues over the last few years.

 

Fast forward to today, we now know that the surgeon who performed the original surgery performed it incorrectly and dropped numerous cells that have grown into additional pheochromocytoma tumors inside her body. After almost a year of doctor consultations and trying to figure out the best plan, Jill is traveling this week to Tampa to undergo a highly invasive open cavity abdominal surgery to find and remove the growths and affected tissue. We know this will be a long recovery road for her, but we are so thankful for the specialist who is confident that he can help give her her life back!

 

The sad part of this story is that their family will have to cover this massive surgical event out of their pockets. Since these tumors grow so slowly, they didn't show on scans until recently. So no legal path can be pursued (which Jill didn't want to begin with), and insurance has denied her three times since the surgery is out of state. Numerous doctors have written letters on her behalf confirming that there isn't a South Carolina surgeon who can perform the complexity needed and that the most favorable outcome will be with the specialist team in Tampa. But sadly, she is still getting "red tape" answers leaving this massive burden on their family.

 

I am creating this GoFundMe to pull our community together to try and help Jill and her family. The amount I set this fundraiser at is only a tiny portion of the cost they will need, but we hope that it will help them get started on this journey. If you can help with either funds, prayers, or kind words, I know all are appreciated so much at this time.