ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WWSB) – The sound of a ringing bell echoed through the halls of Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg Wednesday afternoon, marking a powerful milestone for 14-year-old Jasmine Ramirez.
Doctors, nurses and staff gathered to celebrate Jasmine as she rang the bell, a symbol of completing treatment and beginning a new chapter.
After months of uncertainty and recovery, the Bradenton teen is finally heading home following a life-saving surgery.
“It was really hard for me, and I didn’t know what was going to happen the next day or the day after that,” Jasmine said. “But I’ve been getting stronger every day, and now I get to finally go home.”
Jasmine’s medical journey began when she was just 2 years old. Her family noticed her left leg was growing much faster than her right, a condition so rare doctors say it has no official name.
Over time, the leg grew so large that Jasmine needed a wheelchair.
In November, a serious infection related to her condition became life-threatening. Her family made the heartbreaking decision to amputate her leg to save her life.
“If one day it came between her leg and her life, we would choose her life,” said her father, Manuel Ramirez. “No discussion.”
ORIGINAL STORY | Bradenton teen begins recovery after rare surgery
After weeks of recovery and support from her medical team, Jasmine is now focused on returning to the things she loves, watching anime and playing her acoustic and electric guitars.
As she heads home, her family and doctors say her strength and resilience are nothing short of remarkable.
“We are so excited for Jasmine and her entire family,” said her oncologist, Dr. Jennifer Mayer. “You did it, kiddo.”
For her parents, Jasmine’s recovery is the greatest gift of all.
“She was our greatest Christmas present,” her father said.
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