This 21-Year-Old Nearly Lost Her Life To A Tumor And Now She’s Facing Down A Mountain Of Medical Bills
Chicago, Illinois. This year has changed so many lives. For Amber, a new diagnosis has compounded the challenges she’s faced during a global pandemic.
She has paraganglioma, a “rare tumor growing from the carotid area of her neck, behind her ear, up into her brain,” according to her GoFundMe page.
According to the National Cancer Institute, these tumors are exceedingly rare, only impacting around 2 in 1 million people. Those patients are also typically between the ages of 30-50 years old.
Under the heading “rare endocrine tumors,” NCI describes these tumors typically developing close to “certain nerves and blood vessels outside of the adrenal glands,” which sit above the kidneys and create and regulate hormones.
In 30-50% of cases, this cancer spreads out from the adrenal glands, throughout the body, and beyond the peripheral nervous system (which excludes the brain and spinal cord). That is what happened in Amber’s case.
After her diagnosis—followed by seemingly-endless testing and an 11-hour surgery—doctors removed her tumor and inserted a feeding tube.
GoFundMe; pictured above is Amber
Over the following months, Amber had to relearn basic tasks she’d mastered in childhood: eating, talking, swallowing, and more.
It’s now been two months since Amber’s surgery, and her family is thrilled to see the progress she has achieved.
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
However, the hospital bills are beginning to overwhelm the family and cast a shadow on Amber’s miraculous recovery.
As a young person just starting her life, mounting medical debt is the last thing she should be facing.
Since Amber’s community couldn’t heal her themselves, they’ve made an incredible effort to support her during her recovery.
The family shared on their GoFundMe that it has been uplifting to see the number of caring neighbors and friends who’ve helped the family during the most challenging moments.
These “huggers” come and give their well wishes, telling the family, “Take care of yourself,” while doing their part to take care of Amber.
Please consider donating to Amber Pluzycki’s GoFundMe and helping her get back to her life.
More About:Human Interest
Read This Next
