Tanya's Prosthetic Leg Fund
Donation protected
Tanya Drinnan-Shevchenko is a Registered Nurse who has dedicated her life to helping others in their most desperate times of need. Her job requires her to spend countless hours on her feet. She and her husband Bryce have 2 busy kids, Corbin - age 6, and Sloan - age 4.
She needs two feet to chase them.
In May of 2015 Tanya started experiencing pain in her right foot. Initially she thought it was an old injury acting up and began treating it with Physiotherapy and Chiropractic treatments while waiting to see her Family Phyician. The pain and swelling continued to worsen.
Further investigations to rule out a stress fracture revealed a tumor.
By September she was unable to bear any weight. She spent the next month undergoing several CT scans, MRI, bone scan, and a biopsy... waiting to see if the tumor was cancer or not. Tanya is VERY gratious that this testing came back to show not cancer but a very aggressive Giant Cell Tumor; which had grown into the talus bone of her right foot and eroded 80% of it.
She underwent surgery; the tumor had taken up so much space that she required two donor bone femoral heads to pack the void. She spent the next three weeks flat on her back 23/24 hours of the day to control pain and swelling, unable to bear any weight for another 5 1/2 months. During this time, the family received was thankful to receive support from family and friends; but most of this work to support the young family including cooking, cleaning, driving, shopping, hygiene, etc., all fell to Bryce. Finally in April, almost an entire year from the start of the ordeal, she gradually started to return to work!
Unfortunately, Tanya's symptoms started to return in August. She immediately followed up with her surgeon and had more CT scans and an MRI.
Her surgeon confirmed that the tumor has returned, and referred her to a specialist in Edmonton. Once they were Edmonton, repeat scans were done. Initially there was small hope of an experimental 3D printed titanium talus but after further research they discovered it was not a viable option after all. This was because of the aggressive tumor progression and the fact that it would take 3-4 months for Health Canada to approve the surgery. Unfortunately, Tanya's foot will not last that long. The only option Tanya has is a below the knee amputation.
As I mentioned above, Tanya is an RN. She is a co-worker of mine who I have had the pleasure of working with for the past 6 1/2 years. Please consider contributing to
Tanya's Prosthesis Fund if you are at all able. Even a small $5 donation would be helful and very much appreciated. Our benefits package covers only a small portion of what this prosthesis will cost Tanya's family. Have a look at the attached video of a prosthesis that Tanya is hoping to obtain, that would allow her to live with minimal limitations. Tanya will be called for surgery at any time so we would like to gather these funds by December 1, 2016 if possible.
Please help her keep up to her kids!
She needs two feet to chase them.
In May of 2015 Tanya started experiencing pain in her right foot. Initially she thought it was an old injury acting up and began treating it with Physiotherapy and Chiropractic treatments while waiting to see her Family Phyician. The pain and swelling continued to worsen.
Further investigations to rule out a stress fracture revealed a tumor.
By September she was unable to bear any weight. She spent the next month undergoing several CT scans, MRI, bone scan, and a biopsy... waiting to see if the tumor was cancer or not. Tanya is VERY gratious that this testing came back to show not cancer but a very aggressive Giant Cell Tumor; which had grown into the talus bone of her right foot and eroded 80% of it.
She underwent surgery; the tumor had taken up so much space that she required two donor bone femoral heads to pack the void. She spent the next three weeks flat on her back 23/24 hours of the day to control pain and swelling, unable to bear any weight for another 5 1/2 months. During this time, the family received was thankful to receive support from family and friends; but most of this work to support the young family including cooking, cleaning, driving, shopping, hygiene, etc., all fell to Bryce. Finally in April, almost an entire year from the start of the ordeal, she gradually started to return to work!
Unfortunately, Tanya's symptoms started to return in August. She immediately followed up with her surgeon and had more CT scans and an MRI.
Her surgeon confirmed that the tumor has returned, and referred her to a specialist in Edmonton. Once they were Edmonton, repeat scans were done. Initially there was small hope of an experimental 3D printed titanium talus but after further research they discovered it was not a viable option after all. This was because of the aggressive tumor progression and the fact that it would take 3-4 months for Health Canada to approve the surgery. Unfortunately, Tanya's foot will not last that long. The only option Tanya has is a below the knee amputation.
As I mentioned above, Tanya is an RN. She is a co-worker of mine who I have had the pleasure of working with for the past 6 1/2 years. Please consider contributing to
Tanya's Prosthesis Fund if you are at all able. Even a small $5 donation would be helful and very much appreciated. Our benefits package covers only a small portion of what this prosthesis will cost Tanya's family. Have a look at the attached video of a prosthesis that Tanya is hoping to obtain, that would allow her to live with minimal limitations. Tanya will be called for surgery at any time so we would like to gather these funds by December 1, 2016 if possible.
Please help her keep up to her kids!
Organizer
Jaimie Zimmerman
Organizer
Saskatoon, SK
