Karson was diagnosed with NF1 when she was just six months old. She had two surgeries at ages two and six to try to debulk a large plexiform neurofibroma above her kidneys. At age 11 her tumor was deemed inoperable. With medicine, the tumor has slowed growth but did not shrink. The tumor is crushing her kidneys and ureters and because of this Karson has surgery every four weeks to change out stints in her uterus.

“The pain is sometimes unbearable. I spend probably at least 11 days every month in the hospital. I want so much just to be a normal 25-year-old”.

Karson and her family were thrilled to leave snowy Michigan and travel to Florida to spend time in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and the Florida Keys.

 

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