Nationwide — Jasmine Ramirez, a teen from Florida who has lived with a rare medical condition since early childhood, is recovering after a marathon surgery to amputate her left leg. Doctors made the decision after an infection worsened a tumor that had caused extreme growth in her leg.
Jasmine, who is 14 years old, has lived with a rare lymphomatous tumor since she was just 2 years old. According to People, the condition caused her left leg to grow abnormally over time, eventually weighing about 174 pounds.
Jasmine went through multiple surgeries throughout her childhood as doctors tried to manage the condition. Despite those efforts, a recent infection made it clear that amputation was necessary to protect her overall health.
Earlier this month, she underwent nearly 17 hours of surgery at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg. During the procedure, surgeons amputated her leg and removed about 90 percent of the tumor, which had also spread into her abdomen.
Her sister, Anastashia Carrasquillo, said the surgery marked the beginning of a long recovery process. She organized a GoFundMe campaign to help cover medical and family expenses. It has so far raised over $37,000.
Jasmine will spend the holidays in the hospital, but her family says she will still celebrate with loved ones by her side. Carrasquillo shared that Jasmine is already getting stronger as she adjusts to life after surgery.
The family continues to post updates on a Facebook page called “Jasmine’s Journey,” sharing news about her recovery and what lies ahead. Carrasquillo said they hope people will learn about Jasmine’s strength through her story.
“We just want people to know how strong Jasmine is and how courageous and how kind she is. A sweet girl,” Carrasquillo said. “No kid ever deserves this, but she has challenges and she has pushed through and we want people to know the story of her strength and her courageousness and we also want her story to get out there.”