Raven’s Neurosurgery

UPDATE:

Raven has successfully undergone anterior cervical discectomy fusion surgery! After an intense, procedure three days ago, Raven is now recovering at home after two recovery days in the hospital, she is on a liquid diet and having trouble swallowing (dysphasia which was anticipated) and re-learning how to walk.

Raven has a difficult, painful recovery road ahead of her and doesn’t expect to be able to work again until July. Despite this, she’s in great spirits and we know her incredible strength will get her through this journey.

She wants to thank everyone for the outpouring of love and support she’s received through this GoFundMe ❤️

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We’re friends with Raven (and we’re so lucky for that!). For those of you who don’t Raven, she’s currently in school working towards becoming a doctor and has spent her entire life caring for people and pets – and now it’s time for us to help her!

This month, Raven will have to undergo ACDF surgery to alleviate the debilitating pain she's lived with for years. This condition has made it difficult to use her left arm and hand, causing weakness and tremors thus impacting her ability to live a normal and productive life. This surgery has a high success rate and we hope it will alleviate her unbearable pain and help her avoid possible paralysis – but Raven will have a very difficult, long recovery ahead of her.

This anterior cervical disc fusion surgery involves opening the neck from the front, pushing the oesophagus, carotid and jugular arteries to the side, shaving the bone that is crushing the nerves, and removing 3 discs from her spine that are compressing her spinal cord. The discs will be replaced with either cadaver bone or metal spacers, leaving her in a cervical collar for a months-long healing process that will leave her unable to work.

Over the last couple of years, she’s undergone multiple surgeries, therapies, and injections to help mitigate the damage and heal. The bulged discs are impinging on her spinal cord which now results in a constant tremor in her hands and numbness in the left hand. Unfortunately, the disease has progressed and will continue to do so, possibly leading to paralysis. A multi-level ACDF is the only option.

She is unsure of how long It will take to recover, she was told it takes about a year for the bones to fully fuse. She will be in a cervical collar and unable to eat solid food, with the possibility of a feeding tube (from the oesophagus being moved during the surgery.) She and all we hope to heal fast and get back to work, finish school and become a doctor and live a life free of pain, which has seemed impossible and unattainable to her for years.

Some medical backstory about her ailments:

-She has an autoimmune disease called Lupus, which makes it hard for her body to

distinguish its own cells from foreign pathogens. Meaning— her body attacks itself.

-Because of her diagnosed Lupus, she has developed Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) which means the discs in her spinal column are systemically deteriorating and radiculopathy (which is injury/damage to the nerve roots.)

-Over the last couple of years she has had to undergo multiple surgeries, therapies and injections to help mitigate the damage and try to heal

-She now has 3 bulged discs (C5-C6-C7)

-Spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal column where her spinal cord lays) which greatly affects her balance. It’s progressively getting worse and can lead to paralysis

-Bilateral Foraminal narrowing (where the root nerves that control your extremities come out of)

-The foraminal narrowing has cut off complete circulation to her exiting root nerves and now she experiences numbness in the left hand and intermittently left arm. It will eventually get worse and become permanent if not operated on

-The bulged discs are impinging on her spinal cord which now results in a constant tremor in her hand which will greatly affect her future as a physician

Sadly, even with health insurance and what little family are able help with, money will still play a persistent and looming role in Raven's recovery. Once she recovers from her surgery she won’t be able to return to the work full-time because the fusion takes at least a full year to take hold so she will still be too fragile to perform this very physical job. Her out-of-pocket expenses have been huge and will only continue to grow without consistent income.

Raven is a person who always jumps at the chance to help others, frequently volunteers in food kitchens during the holidays or raises funds for friends during their own medical emergencies. Now she is the one who needs help, and we don't want to let her down. 

Currently working as an autopsy technician, Raven has pulled herself up by her proverbial bootstraps from some very low points in life, to become an amazing young person with a very promising future in the medical field. She has a challenging journey ahead of her; We want to relieve her financial burden so she can focus on her recovery.

  

We are asking for help so she can continue to be a ray of sunshine in this world and to help her be able to afford rent, food, school and bills while she is healing and becoming stronger than ever!

All donations (minus GoFundMe’s fees) will be put towards her medical bills and expenses.