Jessica's Story

Thanks to a donor’s gift of tissue, Jessica has had feeling restored in her chest. Nerve Graft Recipient

Jessica was devastated when she received a breast cancer diagnosis in June 2017. She underwent five months of grueling chemotherapy, followed by a double mastectomy.

While she was determined to be a survivor, she wondered about what life after cancer would be like. When breast tissue is removed during a mastectomy, the nerves that provide feeling to the breast, skin, and nipple are cut, resulting in numbness in the breast area.

Thanks to a donor’s gift of tissue (a processed nerve allograft), Jessica’s surgeon was able to reconnect the nerves in her chest with nerves in her reconstructed breasts. This gift of donated tissue restored sensation to her chest.

Jessica is now back to work as a nurse and enjoys the feeling she cherishes most — hugs from her two children.