‘She has challenges and she has pushed through’: Florida teen recovering after 17 hour surgery to remove 174lb leg

A Florida teen will celebrate this Christmas free from the medical condition she’s suffered from for most of her life. 14-year-old Manatee County girl Jasmine Ramirez was diagnosed with a rare lymphomatous tumor in her left leg at age 2, causing her leg to grow uncontrollably. Its condition is so unusual that there’s not even an official name for it yet

As the GoFundMe set up by her older sister Anastashia Carrasquillo explains, this condition has seriously affected Jasmine’s lifestyle and health, resulting in many hospital stays and surgeries to try to reduce the size of her leg.

But, after an infection set in, doctors at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital decided it was time to amputate. Jasmine and her family agreed and she underwent a colossal 17-hour surgery. Thankfully, this has been a success, and Jasmine will spend the next few months recovering in hospital. Anastashia told reporters outside the hospital:

“My dad always told Jasmine if it came down to your life or your leg, we would choose your life so they took the chance and thankfully and thank God that it went well, you know, 17 hours, we were all worried sick, waiting in the waiting room.”

What does the future hold?

According to her sister, Jasmine took her first steps about eight hours after the surgery, soon plans to get a prosthetic leg, and is chronicling her recovery on the Facebook page Jasmine’s Journey.

While this surgery seems to have saved Jasmine’s life, losing a leg – even an immobile one – will be traumatizing. But Anastashia tells reporters her sister is taking it well:

“She’s still dealing with, you know, coming to terms that she only has one leg now. She’s still the same sweet, humorous girl that we knew before and she’s getting back there and she’s doing a lot better because she’s like starting to walk. She’s starting to eat, trying to drink water and everything. She loves sweet tea right now so she’s been asking for sweet tea.”

Jasmine and her family are also eager for her story to be shared, as they admire the determination she’s shown to get through this:

“We just want people to know how strong Jasmine is and how courageous and how kind she is, you know. She’s a sweet girl…she didn’t deserve this. 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.”

We can only wish a Merry Christmas to Jasmine and her family and send our hopes for her continued and speedy recovery in 2026.