Help Support Shoulder-Collarbone Surgeries

Jeff Sturgeon is an artist and a world builder. His Jeff Sturgeon’s Last Cities of Earth anthology has inspired dozens of authors to bring their own visions into his universe.

What you may not know is why he is so good at it. Jeff has a severe form of congenital arthritis that makes every day incredibly painful. He had his first bone spur at age 4, one poking through the skin off of his shoulder blade causing major ongoing infections. He’d had both knees and hips replaced before 50, and has had innumerable spinal surgeries including fusions to stop spurs from severing his spine. When asked how he has spent so many hours creating thousands of paintings, mentoring other artists, and world-building, he said “it’s the only way I can get away from the pain—to go somewhere else and create.”

Jeff’s spur growth has amazed doctors. “It’s not funny how often I have heard ‘I’ve never seen anything like this’ from doctors. More than one kept spurs and uses my images to teach medical students.” He continued “After 26 surgeries, I am tired...and after all the surgeries, the idea of being cut on again, keeps me awake at night but what choide do I have ".

Unfortunately, Jeff now needs a very urgent surgery. He has a life-threatening bone spur the size of a golf ball on his collar bone joint that is pushing on his trachea, jugular vein, and vocal cords. and twisting the collarbone out of place and damaging his shoulder as well. There might be second surgery to correct that issue. Of course, the doctor has “never seen anything like it.”

Jeff needs urgent surgery to ensure this spur doesn’t kill him by tearing his esophagus or jugular vein and causing severe injury.

Jeff lives on the Olympic peninsula—and has to ferry to get to doctor appointments at about $70 a trip. He’s still paying off the last three surgeries. Jeff relies heavily on the spring science fiction conventions for income, and this is now in jeopardy if he cannot get surgery quickly. More importantly, his life is in possible jeopardy.

If you can, please donate to help him be able to have this surgery. Please also share this with your networks. It’s going to take a huge village to help him out.