Chondroblastoma Fund Raising-19 YO

Hi! My name is Katrinah Vergara, 19 years old, a certified cat lover. I used to be an active girl in my school; I played volleyball, badminton, Xylophone and I was also band majorette back in highschool. I love spending time with my friends and pets. Until that day I was diagnosed with a rare disease called, Chondroblastoma… and it changed my life forever.

For those who don’t know… “Chondroblastoma is a rare type of benign (noncancerous) tumor that grows at the ends of the body's long bones, close to the joints. Most often, the tumors develop at the ends of the femur (thighbone), tibia (shinbone), or humerus (upper arm bone). They typically occur in children and young adults, and are more common in males. Although chondroblastomas are not cancerous, they will continue to grow if left untreated. A growing tumor can destroy the surrounding bone, making it painful to move the nearby joint. Treatment for a chondroblastoma almost always involves surgery to remove the tumor and prevent damage to the bone near the affected joint.” (Read more about it from: https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/chondroblastoma)

Honestly, me and my family have never heard such a thing. Unfortunately for me, I have to have it. ☹ In my case, that disease have grown on the joint of my right hip and upper Femur. 



Doctor said there’s no medicine available so far. I underwent a curretage and bone graft surgery, but it did not work. The tumor came back even bigger. And my pain… even stronger than before. Now, I can no longer walk and is using a wheelchair as the pain is intolerable for me. I do not even qualify for a hip replacement anymore because my bones are too damaged. My doctors suggests a hip fusion, where the affected bones will be removed and fused together. 



But me and my family are not giving up on this disease!!! I am due for another method of surgery again soon. But our funds are not yet enough for me to be scheduled.

I set up this GoFundMe account to help my family with the finances. We just come from a simple and poor family. The sooner we complete the money, the sooner I could get this surgery and hopefully, stop this tumor from getting bigger. 

I am knocking at your kind hearts to help me raise the funds for this 2nd surgery I will be needing. A little help will go a long way….

I am hopeful, that someday I will be able to walk normally again, without pain and without my crutches nor wheelchair. I just want to be able to walk again, play volleyball, be with my friends and study to become a Psychologist.

Thank you for all the time you spent reading my story. God bless you!!!