Annabelle's Jaw Joint Replacement Surgery
Donation protected
Hi everyone!
My name is Annabelle Gunn , and I am a 21 year-old college student and classical flutist. I am asking for your help to pay for my out-of-pocket Jaw Joint Replacement Surgery. As a professional flutist, my life has been greatly impacted both professionally, musically, mentally, and in my every-day life by my progressive disease called Idiopathic Condylar Resorption (ICR).
ICR has caused me an open bite and extreme pain in my jaw joints (TMJs), struggles breathing both through my mouth and nose from my receding lower jaw, as well as severe pain in my neck and shoulders from forward neck posture (trying to breath). As a result of trauma and this forward neck posture, I have early onset degenerative disc disease in my spine.
I was in 2 car accidents that were a week apart - the accidents essentially “triggered” the ICR, and my pain, bite, and breathing got substantially worse. Surgery will drastically improve my life, and most importantly allow me to continue my career as a classical/professional musician, where I can breathe, play, and perform pain-free. As a result of the car accidents, I sustained other injuries resulting in 2 shoulder surgeries, 2 hip surgeries, and nerve release surgeries. The car accidents have left me unable to work and aid in paying for my surgery, as well as struggle maintaining my full-time status with my full-scholarship at Jacksonville University.
The surgery requires a specialist that is out-of-network, and the entire surgeon’s fee of $60,000 is out-of-pocket. Because only a handful of doctors appropriately diagnose and treat Condylar Resorption, going out-of-network (out of pocket costs) is my only reliable option. A huge concern of mine is the high-risk for paralysis and nerve damage post-op. There is a large network of nerves stemming from the TMJs, and as a classical flutist, if I have nerve damage, I may not be able to play again. This is also why going to an out-of-network specialist is imperative.
My surgery will include:
- Bilateral Total Joint Replacements of The Temporomandibular Joints : to replace the arthritic condyles/TMJs/upper mandible/glenoid fossa with strong and reliable titanium protheses;
- Abdominal Fat Grafts : to harvest fat from the abdomen to wrap around the newly placed prostheses;
- 3-Piece Lefort Osteotomy : breaking of the upper jaw into 3 pieces to fit the newly positioned lower jaw with bone grafts;
- Turbinate Reduction Surgery : to reduce the turbinates in my nose blocking my nasal airway;
- Genioplasty : the final segment of my surgery will be advancing my chin with bone grafts to restore the aesthetics of my face, as well as improve airway and lip incompetence.
If you are willing or able, my family and I would sincerely appreciate anything you could donate to making my surgeries possible. We will incur many costs apart from the surgery, including:
- Braces to band my mouth shut after surgery ($5,000 out-of-pocket)
- Travel expenses to and from Dallas, TX (where my surgeon is located) from Jacksonville, FL;
- Out-of-pocket costs for the titanium joint prosthesis that are custom fit to my face;
- Metal-testing kits to qualify for titanium joints;
- Consult fees associated with the surgery;
- Hospital fees not covered by insurance;
- 2 weeks of hotel stays in Dallas immediately following my surgery;
- Lost time I could be working and help paying for my surgery.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me! I greatly appreciate the help, support, encouragement, and comfort my family and friends have given me in restoring my health!
Video showing a 3D model of TMJ TJR surgery and Lefort Osteotomy:
Organizer
Annabelle Gunn
Organizer
Jacksonville, FL