Carrigan’s Story
My daughter puts her best "and only foot" forward after losing her leg to aggressive Osteosarcoma.
Six months...watching my daughter suffer with agonizing bone pain and swelling in her leg. Six months of watching her fade away from shear exhaustion. Finally, my 20 year old daughter Carrigan, a former dancer and Tae Kwon Do champion, was diagnosed with an aggressive bone cancer, Osteosarcoma, in her left leg just after her 18th birthday.
While the news was shocking and devastating - it also gave us a direction, a treatment plan and hope. After 8 months of high dose chemotherapy and 2 limb salvage surgeries, fighting sepsis and other chemo related complications - we thought we were cancer free. Another misdiagnosis and delayed scans (due to Covid) led to a late discovery of her relapse. Carrigan would endure above the knee amputation of her left leg and 5 months of high dose chemotherapy. She would fight her way through sepsis and Covid and numerous chemo related complications. 15 surgeries and over 120 cumulative nights of hospitalization and later she emerged weak from muscle atrophy and unable to use her prosthetic leg.
She began the task of recovery. The task of healing her mind and body and rebuilding her life with the goal of walking again, attending college and continuing her pediatric cancer advocacy and her work as a musician and community volunteer. Through her 2 year cancer fight she has continued her work as a youth mentor and as a vocalist, using her voice to benefit charitable causes and to raise funds for pediatric cancer.
She continues to put her best foot forward - her only foot. It's planted firmly on the ground and kicking cancer to the curb. She is Miss Rhode Island's Honorary Miss Outstanding Teen and is Miss Aquidneck Island. She continues to shine in every way despite her challenges.
She is my champion.
Written by Tammy Nelson, Carrigan’s Mom
Resources
Carrigan’s Projects
She started her own Instagram for Sarcoma fighters, warriors and angels. She highlights her journey on TikTok and her YouTube Channel which is almost exclusively cancer related.Check out her projects here: https://linktr.ee/Carriganmccorrie
