I have a sweet friend named, Jennifer that I wanted to talk to you all about today. In two weeks, Jennifer will be undergoing her third neurosurgery in less than 10 months and she could use our help.
In July of 2014, Jennifer underwent ten hours of brain and spine surgery to correct a congenital condition called Chiari Malformation. While the surgery was not intended as a cure for her incurable disease, she did not expect that she would get worse rather than better, nor that her medical bills would exceed $50,000.
On April 17th, she learned that the surgery to her spine stretched her tethered spinal cord, causing irreversible damage to the nerves that control her bladder, and her legs. This past weekend, she flew to New York for a second opinion at Weill-Cornell, one of the world’s top neurosurgery hospitals and her diagnosis was independently confirmed.
On May 19th, she is scheduled to undergo surgery in New York, to release her tethered cord. The surgery is not designed to improve the symptoms she lives with daily, like unrelenting leg pain, but to ensure that she is able to walk in the future. As a 23 year old graduate student, she does not have the resources she needs to make this surgery happen.
That’s where all of us come in. There are so many of her friends who have joined together to help Jennifer raise money for her medical expenses.
Here are the ways you can help sweet Jennifer.
WAYS YOU CAN HELP
Purchase a tee shirt. These American Apparel tees feature script from Jodie of Polka Dot Creative and can be shipped anywhere in the world. Shirts are available in styles for men, women and children, in a variety of colors. Each shirt features a message of awareness on the back, as well. Womens tees purchased before Friday May 8th should arrive prior to her surgery date of May 19th for U.S. customers.
Purchase a ‘thrive’ stamp from Kellie Stamps. Kellie Winnell of Kellie Stamps has created a wooden mounted rubber stamp featuring the beautiful script of Jodie, as well. All proceeds from the sale of the stamp will benefit her surgery.
Purchase a ‘thrive’ wooden veneer from Color Cast Designs. Featuring the same script, these buttons measure 1.5″ and are great for scrapbooking, Project Life, or your planner. Use “Thrive” at checkout and receive a credit toward the shipping of your entire order.
Purchase a digital product from the Thrive Etsy Store which features 8×10 and 5×7 print options, as well as a variety of Project Life products. Every cent of each digital purchase goes directly to her surgery costs and you will receive an instant download for the file of your choice. Contributors include Laurel Lane Designs, Artful Leigh Creative, Alex Hunter Designs and Cindy Backstrom.
Purchase an 8×10 fine art print of the New York City Skyline by Olya Schmidt of Paint Paper Studio. Olya created this painting as a tribute to the city where Jennifer will be having surgery. The watercolor also features shades of purple, the awareness color for chiari malformation. Her painting is reproduced as a press print on fine art paper.
Purchase from Stella & Dot and 25% of every sale will be donated.
Thank you, sweet friends! I pray that if you are able to do one (or more) of these, you will. If you are not able to, please keep Jennifer in your prayers as she approaches her surgery and as she recovers from it as well. She is such a sweet, brave person. I am so thankful that our paths have crossed and would love it if we could rally around her, pray for her, uplift her and be there for her during this difficult time.
Have a blessed day! XOXO!
