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Let me start out with stating that anyone who knows Jenna knows that she is literally the kindest soul on the planet. She would help any creature she possibly could, even if that meant a loss for her. I have never met another person with such a kind, generous, gentle heart. Most of you know Jenna’s story already, but for those of you who don’t this is the summary. (I am sorry for the novel.) Jenna had bleeding for months and struggled to get into a GYN. On 5/25 while showering she nearly passed out and was rushed to the ER. In the ER we found that her hemoglobin was only 6 and she had a huge mass in her abdomen, suspected to be originating in her right ovary. She was admitted to a stepdown floor for multiple nights where she got multiple blood transfusions and IV iron before getting to go home and rest while she waited to see the oncologist. This also meant missing a music festival in AC with Paramore and Blink-182 headlining. No one is a bigger Hayley Williams fan than Jenna. I joke that she would leave me for her, but we all know that isn’t actually a joke lol On 5/30 she saw her gynecologic oncologist for the first time and we were told to brace ourselves for the possibility that the mass was cancer and that she would require a total abdominal hysterectomy. We also learned that we would not know whether the mass was cancerous or benign until they removed it. On 6/12 she underwent her surgery where I got the call that the mass on her ovary was in fact ovarian cancer and that she would need a total hysterectomy. They removed lymph nodes as well, and once again we had to play the awful waiting game to see if the cancer was in the lymph nodes or had spread to any other areas that were biopsied. This required another hospital stay for multiple nights. A total abdominal hysterectomy means a large incision from top to bottom of the abdomen and a long recovery. Jenna has needed help with even the simplest tasks since the procedure but continues to keep a smile on her face and laughter in the house. Even in her hospital bed after undergoing major surgery for hours, she looked at her mom and I and asked if we were okay. If that doesn’t prove what a selfless, loving human being she is, I don’t know what would. 6/27 we had her 2 week follow up where we got her pathology results and staging and we were all finally able to take a deep breath again after nearly a month of holding it waiting to hear what battle Jenna was facing. That’s the day we were told her ovarian cancer was Stage 1c high grade serious, which was such a huge surprise after learning that the mass they removed was 15x16x20 CENTIMETERS! We also learned that Jenna is an overachiever and that she also had a uterine cancer that was initially undetected. Not one, but two different types of cancer at one time. This also meant she would need 6 rounds of chemo over the next few months. Fast forward to now and Jenna is still working to heal from her major surgery. Missing time for hospitalizations, surgery and all of the appointments so far has really started to deplete her vacation time rather quickly. Not to mention the fact that she has 6 rounds of chemo in her future starting in a couple weeks. All of the time missed and medical bills are really starting to add up and although everyone knows Jenna is not someone to ask for help, she needs us now. Any donation will go directly toward Jenna’s growing medical bills and will be appreciate more than you’ll ever understand. Jenna is a lover. A lover of life and of everyone around her. She is such an incredibly strong person and I know she will beat this. Thank you all so much, from the bottom of our hearts for donating and sharing her story. We love and appreciate every single one of you!
Organizer and beneficiary
Jenna Leithead
Beneficiary

