The Mint Hill Times: Sarcoma Awareness - Part 1
Cancer. The word stops you dead in your tracks. For Jenn Andrews, the word ignited a flame to create a foundation to ensure that fellow sarcoma patients would not find themselves isolated and alone. The Move For Jenn Foundation helps this rare subgroup of cancer patients get access to necessary medical equipment to ensure that they keep moving forward.
Jenn Andrews, mother of two, and her husband Miles found out about her diagnosis for cancer in 2013. At the time, Jenn was pregnant with her first child when, at a pedicure, they discovered a small lump on her right foot. The lump was only visible when pressure was applied. She had it evaluated by a doctor who determined it to be a ganglion cyst. In 2014, while removing the cyst, they found sarcoma cells along the bottom of the mass that attached to her foot. After a three year remission and a series of scans to monitor growth, there was a recurrence. A 3-millimeter thick area was discovered all over the skin of her right foot. A punch biopsy determined the tissue to be a sarcoma.
At this point, Jenn’s choices were grim. She could opt for limb salvage surgery, which would result in a series of painful surgeries and skin grafts, or amputate the foot. The doctor’s informed her that if she did not amputate her foot, cancer could spread to her lungs, resulting in death.