Help Jamie Have 2 Legs to Stand On!
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Our friend Jamie Sullivan is about to undergo her 20th surgery since being diagnosed with bone cancer in 2001.
Complicated and Dangerous
Earlier surgeries resulted in the left half of Jamie's pelvis and one third of her femur -- the longest bone in the human body -- being removed. She currently has the remains of a cadaver bone inside of her, along with a titanium rod in what's left of her femur. The rod, along with metal component parts, roughly create a joint so she can bend at the hip -- with extreme pain.
After many reconstructive surgeries, Jamie has over 50 pieces of hardware in her hip area, and some of these pieces have broken off and are dangerously close to her sacrum in her pelvic region and her lower back.
Long, Trailblazing Surgery
It will all be replaced on May 16, during what is expected to be an 18 hour surgery at the University of Minnesota. First, surgeons will carefully remove all the old hardware in Jamie's body, which is covered by scar tissue and will have to be delicately excised. Jamie will then receive an experimental acetablar implant that will act as a replacement for her pelvis. Fewer than 10 of these surgeries have been performed globally.
"I'm willing to try anything to relieve my pain and improve my function," Jamie says.
Long Term Recovery
It doesn't stop after the surgery is complete. Jamie will be hospitalized in a full body brace for weeks and then sent to a rehabilitation center or nursing home for an additional 2-4 months of recovery in the full body brace. After that begins the long process of learning to walk again.
Due to the experimental nature of this surgery, the recovery period is extensive and unknown.
It's a complicated surgery and recovery. Jamie's goal, however, is quite simple: "I want to keep my leg. I want to have increased function, less pain, and improve my quality of life."
Jamie recently lost her full time job and has also lost her social security disability payments. At best she can hope for a small, part time job when she recovers. But that will be sometime in the fall and winter, and the bills will pile up while she heals.
How you Can Help Jamie
Our goal is also simple: to raise money to help pay for Jamie's medical expenses that aren't covered by insurance, and to help with her living expenses so she can stay in her home.
We all love and admire Jamie's sense of joy and her irrepressible spirit. We hope you will join us in making a small (or large) donation that will have a big impact on Jamie's life. You may make a donation before her surgery, or anytime during this long summer while she is in the nursing home recovering. It will all be appreciated. Thank you, Jeremiah Whitten

NOTE: Donations made to GoFundMe Personal campaigns are generally considered to be personal gifts and are not guaranteed to be tax-deductible. You can always check with a tax professional to be sure.
Thank you.
Our friend Jamie Sullivan is about to undergo her 20th surgery since being diagnosed with bone cancer in 2001.
Complicated and Dangerous
Earlier surgeries resulted in the left half of Jamie's pelvis and one third of her femur -- the longest bone in the human body -- being removed. She currently has the remains of a cadaver bone inside of her, along with a titanium rod in what's left of her femur. The rod, along with metal component parts, roughly create a joint so she can bend at the hip -- with extreme pain.
After many reconstructive surgeries, Jamie has over 50 pieces of hardware in her hip area, and some of these pieces have broken off and are dangerously close to her sacrum in her pelvic region and her lower back.
Long, Trailblazing Surgery
It will all be replaced on May 16, during what is expected to be an 18 hour surgery at the University of Minnesota. First, surgeons will carefully remove all the old hardware in Jamie's body, which is covered by scar tissue and will have to be delicately excised. Jamie will then receive an experimental acetablar implant that will act as a replacement for her pelvis. Fewer than 10 of these surgeries have been performed globally.
"I'm willing to try anything to relieve my pain and improve my function," Jamie says.
Long Term Recovery
It doesn't stop after the surgery is complete. Jamie will be hospitalized in a full body brace for weeks and then sent to a rehabilitation center or nursing home for an additional 2-4 months of recovery in the full body brace. After that begins the long process of learning to walk again.
Due to the experimental nature of this surgery, the recovery period is extensive and unknown.
It's a complicated surgery and recovery. Jamie's goal, however, is quite simple: "I want to keep my leg. I want to have increased function, less pain, and improve my quality of life."
Jamie recently lost her full time job and has also lost her social security disability payments. At best she can hope for a small, part time job when she recovers. But that will be sometime in the fall and winter, and the bills will pile up while she heals.
How you Can Help Jamie
Our goal is also simple: to raise money to help pay for Jamie's medical expenses that aren't covered by insurance, and to help with her living expenses so she can stay in her home.
We all love and admire Jamie's sense of joy and her irrepressible spirit. We hope you will join us in making a small (or large) donation that will have a big impact on Jamie's life. You may make a donation before her surgery, or anytime during this long summer while she is in the nursing home recovering. It will all be appreciated. Thank you, Jeremiah Whitten
NOTE: Donations made to GoFundMe Personal campaigns are generally considered to be personal gifts and are not guaranteed to be tax-deductible. You can always check with a tax professional to be sure.
Thank you.
Organizer and beneficiary
Jamie Sullivan
Organizer
Chaska, MN
Jamie Sullivan
Beneficiary