Support Jenny’s Road to Recovery Following Rare Diagnosis

My name is Jen I’m creating this GoFundMe for my friend, Jenny Throckmorton, who underwent surgery on January 15 to repair a condition that has made the past year extremely difficult—physically, emotionally and financially. She was hesitant to let me share this with all of you, as she is usually the one helping others and she’s a fairly private person. But we all know that stress impacts our health and impedes healing, and I want to help relieve some of her financial worries as she recovers. I know there are many people who wish to support Jenny, and I want to provide a vehicle for doing that.

For the past year, Jenny has been struggling with increasingly severe medical issues. She’s been diagnosed with a rare condition called Superior Mesenteric Artery (SMA) Syndrome, an anatomical issue that causes a pinching and partial blockage of the intestine, which causes extreme pain, fullness, nausea and vomiting. This of course makes it extremely difficult to eat and results in rapid weight loss. Without corrective surgery, many people with this condition end up with a feeding tube for the rest of their lives. For some, the condition is fatal.

Jenny has endured many tests including a colonoscopy, endoscopy, multiple CT scans and angiograms, x-rays, a swallow study, a gastric emptying study, ER visits, and hospital stays to try to get a diagnosis. Despite her best efforts to manage the condition, her quality of life has deteriorated.

Fortunately, she was finally able to get a diagnosis and find a doctor in Blacksburg, Virginia who agreed to do a surgery that could give her a chance to live a normal life. On January 15, 2025, she underwent surgery at LewisGale hospital in Virginia. To help with travel expenses, LifeLine Pilots generously provided transportation from Iowa to Virginia, and will fly her home when she’s discharged from the hospital. For that she is extremely grateful.

Because this was major surgery, she will be off work for many weeks during her recovery. Lost wages, coupled with more than $10,000 in medical bills and other visits to out of state doctors have left her in serious financial strain. Even with insurance, the financial burden of a severe illness can quickly wipe out all progress toward financial stability. As a single mom, Jenny has experienced this first-hand over the past year. She has worked hard to provide for herself and her children, and it’s terrible to think this could set her back for years.

I’m asking for your help in supporting my friend, to help cover the costs of her surgery, hospital stay, recovery, and basic living expenses during this time. Every donation, no matter how small, will help ease her financial burden and allow her to focus on healing. THANK YOU to all my dear friends who are reading this.

For more information on SMA, click here