Help Chris Towne Get Surgeries Rare Eagle Syndrome

We're the Towne Family. I'm Jacquelyn, my husband's name is Chris, and we have two beautiful daughters that are a gift and a blessing to us.

Around 7 weeks ago Chris started feeling intense pain in the back of his head and neck (his left occipital region), to where it hurt him to even touch it. He went to the ER and they took a CT Scan, said it was normal and sent him home. Around a week later he developed a large hard lump behind his right ear and the head pain had escalated. Chris went back to the ER, and because Chris already had a recent CT Scan on file, they decided to do a Soft Tissue CT Scan with contrast. Through this scan and the amazing skill of the Radiologist, they were able to give Chris a diagnosis: Eagle Syndrome.

Eagle Syndrome is when someone has an elongated and/or calcified styloid process and ligament. You have styloid processes on both sides of your head (coming down diagonally from the base of your skull toward your neck) and symptoms can present on one or both sides. It is rare with only around 4 percent of the population having it and of those people only a small percentage have extensive symptoms. It can be genetic as well. So of course, my husband hit the rare syndrome jackpot, with not only having Eagle Syndrome, but having the longest and the thickest styloid process that many have seen and also having a host of painful and distressing symptoms. The average person's styloid process is around 2.5 to 3cm. Chris' right styloid process is around 8.5cm and completely calcified. His left side is also elongated and calcified. He needs to have urgent surgeries to get his styloid processes removed on both sides of his neck. His Eagle Syndrome is causing vascular compression and impingement as well.

The surgeries Chris needs are called styloidectomies. They can be done intraorally (going in through the mouth) or extraorally (outside of the mouth - through the neck or side of the face). Due to the immense size of Chris' styloid process, Chris' surgeries will be done extraorally. This is an uncommon, high risk, and complicated surgery. Because of the rare nature of Eagle Syndrome there are only a small number of qualified surgeons here in the US that have experience performing this extraoral surgery. God has led us to an excellent surgeon, who is at the top of his field in terms of knowledge, skill, and experience regarding Eagle Syndrome and styloidectomies. He expressed that he wanted to get Chris in as soon as possible and we could tell he had a heart to get Chris out of pain but his Institute does not take our insurance. He also expressed that this was a very complicated surgery, he wanted to get both sides done in the same week, and our trip out of state would last around 12 days. He made it clear that not having surgery was not an option for Chris.

Please watch this video if you're interested as we found it helpful and informative. Chris' styloid process on his right side is over double the size of the one taken out in this video.

https://youtu.be/Ik2GonNOahw?si=ZzyXoWIfSmDWw0ur

A lot of the financial burden has already been overcome due to God's mighty providence but we are still in need of $35,000 for the surgeries and travel expenses. We have surgery dates in September of this year, 6 weeks away, which doesn't seem like a lot of time to raise the money but we know God isn't surprised or hindered by this timeframe. This amount of money seems astronomical to us. So out of our grasp to ever raise. We simply cannot. BUT...OUR GOD CAN! His resources are infinite and He will provide a way. My dear friends and family, friends of my friends and family, and whoever this Go Fund Me lands in front of (as there's no limit to what God can do and who God can touch)- we need a mountain moved on our behalf. Our God is the mover of mountains, He has already done amazing things and I know He is not done yet. Please take our hand and bear these burdens with us. Prayer is so powerful, and when the saints (the body of Christ) join together in prayer it is a heavenly incense to our Lord. Battles are won on our knees before the King of Kings. I plead boldly and unabashedly for your prayers over our situation, our family, our marriage, our finances. I also ask that you would pray to the Lord and see if there is anything He lays on your heart to donate financially to this surgery and our travel expenses. We come with no expectations and understand completely if you are not able to donate. If you are able to give financially, we pray the Lord blesses your sacrifice in abundance back to you. We love you all and thank you for taking the time to read this and pray over us.

*Please email me or message me on Facebook/Instagram if you have any questions or would like more details. I'm happy to provide pictures of his CT Scans, documentation of the surgery quotes, an extensive list of his symptoms, and so on. Here is a link to a Tik Tok video we made about Chris as well: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTF1V2H83/

On a personal note, I have a confession to make. I have been procrastinating making this GoFundMe. The thought of coming to our family and friends with our need when they are all facing their own struggles and battles has been something I've been wrestling with. Thankfully I have a lot of wise and caring people around me and when God has laid it on the heart of my husband, multiple friends and family, as well as the Pastors we've spoken with, that this is something we need to put into action, my insecurities cannot get in the way of that. God works through people all the time to accomplish miracles and we are indeed in need of a miracle. As I was driving around praying about all of this, I turned on the radio and heard these lyrics:

"I know my God can do it

So, I'm gonna worship through it

Before I see my breakthrough

I'm gonna choose to praise You

I will sing Hallelujah to the one

Who can do what the world says can't be done

I know my God can do it

So, I'm gonna worship through it

In the middle of my no way out

In the middle of my don't know how

I hear You whisper to me, Peace Be Still"

God has been with us this entire time opening and closing doors according to His wise path. With great pain and suffering (Chris is in daily excruciating pain) comes great fear, worry, stress, frustration - but as we lay those at the feet of Christ, we say that those anxieties will not be our testimony through this journey. God is growing us and refining us through these trials (God knows we sure need it as we're often a mess lol), and He will be glorified through this. Not our plan, but Yours Lord. Not our perspective, but Yours Lord.

Options if you don't want to use GoFundMe because of their fees:

Zelle: Chris or Jacquelyn Towne

Venmo: @Chris-Towne-22

Phone: Chris (541-441-8660)

*Please call or message us for our mailing address if you would like.