Teen Recovers After 17-Hour Marathon Surgery to Remove 174-Pound Leg
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.