Meet Move For Jenn Grant Recipient, Bernie Beier
Help us welcome Bernie Beier to the Move For Jenn family!
Bernie is a 35-year-old above the knee amputee living in South Carolina. Growing up and into adulthood, Bernie always made it a priority to live an active lifestyle spending time kayaking, hiking with his dog, participating in mud runs, and more.
In October of 2021, Bernie noticed that his health began to deteriorate. He started having night sweats, increased fatigue, and sciatic nerve pain. He spent months going back and forth to doctors trying to find a solution.
Two months later, on Christmas Day, he found a small lump behind his knee and promptly made an appointment to visit his primary physician.
During the two weeks between Christmas and being able to be seen by his doctor, the bump has grown into the size of a golf ball, leaving him without the ability to walk.
After an MRI, this 6cm mass was biopsied and Bernie was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a rare form of bone and soft tissue cancer.
After the initial shock, Bernie said he was ready to put everything behind him and get back to his previous self. After eight rounds of chemotherapy, surgery was scheduled to remove the tumor. Unfortunately, the mass was too large for limb salvage surgery, leaving Bernie with amputation as the best option.
Unfortunately, as many amputees soon find out after surgery, life as an amputee is expensive. On top of a number of unexpected costs, amputees are often asked to pay out of pocket for prosthetic equipment.
Bernie is now in remission and looking forward to getting back to the active lifestyle he once led. We are so excited to be able to give Bernie the gift of movement with a specialized waterproof prosthetic that will allow him to get back in the water!
We cannot wait to see all that Bernie accomplishes. Welcome to the Move For Jenn family, Bernie!
Are you an amputee due to sarcoma or an affiliated disease who is looking for assistance with an activewear prosthetic? Learn more about the Move For Jenn mission here.