I have known Jayde since she was 18 years old and many of you will have known her for longer. I know many of you have offered to do a “fundraiser” for Jayde which shows just how many friends she has.
So, this is on behalf of everyone who loves and wanted to help her.
Nola George.
Here is Jayde’s story
At just 21 years old, Jayde faced a reality no one ever expects, she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare and aggressive bone cancer. She endured 16 rounds of chemotherapy and had major surgery to remove parts of ribs 3 -7.
In their place, surgeons implanted Gore-Tex mesh to reconstruct her chest wall. At the time, the focus was on survival, but doctors did caution that the surgery might need to be revised in the future as the Gore-Tex mesh only had a max of a 20 yr life.
Against the odds, Jayde went into remission and was grateful to be able to get married and have two beautiful children, live an almost normal life, that is until June 2024………
One morning, she woke up in severe pain at her original surgery site. That moment marked the beginning of an exhausting 11-month ordeal.
Jayde saw five different specialists and underwent over ten scans. Each specialist had a different theory, but no one could offer a clear diagnosis or a path forward.
Specialists weren’t even sure if her cancer had returned or not.
Jayde was simply not seeing any hope of finding help.
In a desperate attempt to manage the pain, Jayde underwent a dorsal pain epidural. Unfortunately, it triggered a severe cortisone flare, landing her in and out of hospital for five weeks. Since then, her quality of life has deteriorated. Jayde hasn’t been able to work or live her normal, active life. The chronic pain is now constant, affecting every part of her day.
Eventually, Jayde was told that no one in WA could help !!!
Refusing to give up, she began researching on her own. Through her determination, she discovered that the Gore-Tex mesh used in her surgery, a material no longer commonly used in these types of procedures, appears to be shrinking, causing the chronic pain. Removing it is an incredibly complex procedure, especially given how rare her case is: surviving osteosarcoma is uncommon enough but having it in the ribs instead of the limbs makes her journey even more unique. Most surgeons simply haven’t seen, let alone performed, the type of revision surgery she now needs.
Jayde explored overseas surgery options in Turkey and Bangkok, with costs ranging from $45,000 to $90,000 but these carried significant medical risks.
Thankfully, she has now found a highly specialized surgeon in Sydney with experience in complex mesh removals who is prepared to take on her case.
Now, Jayde is preparing for major surgery hopefully only having to go interstate to remove the Gore-Tec mesh and rebuild her chest wall safely.
Jayde is the kindest person that we all have the pleasure of knowing and she is the first person to help everyone else.
Please can you all help to send Jayde interstate or maybe overseas if the need arises, for the treatment she so desperately needs, to regain some quality of life.
Many thanks in advance to you all. Your donation I know will be very much appreciated by Jayde and her family during this difficult time.
If you would like to read Jayde’s full story, use the link below.
