Rock photographer Ashley Osborn has become one of the most recognisable names in the last few years, so when she was tragically struck with a swollen hand she never expected what would happen next…
Ashley, who has worked with us on many occasions, has suffered a serious of blood clots in her shoulder due to a rare cervical rib condition which caused her hand to swell up. In order to pay for various medical bills and to cover a loss of earnings, a GoFundMe account has been set up to help cover the costs.
As well as shooting bands like Pierce The Veil, she has also been a staple name at Vans Warped Tour following the event up and down America in the summer.
Read Ashley’s latest entries below:
“Now that all of my immediate family knows what’s happening. Here we go.
Never wanted to be that guy but I really need all the positive vibes in the world. I’ve been having issues with my hand and wrist for a few months. It’s a very long story but once I flew over to Europe on the 25th of October things got dramatically worse. I started tour on the 29th and the night after the first show my hand swelled up so bad it was purple and I had lost all feeling. I was in and out of various European hospitals that all diagnosed it as carpal tunnel. I couldn’t deal with the pain and I knew staying on tour meant further endangering my health so I left on the 7th and flew to the U.K. To figure shit out. I had a doctor refer me to a orthopedic specialist. I came to Leeds on Tuesday and he took one look and knew immediately that CT was not the case. He ordered an urgent ultrasound of my arm and I left feeling very positive because I thought physical therapy would be the fix.
Wednesday morning they called and I went back to Leeds for the ultrasound. They ended up finding a huge blood clot in my shoulder of which now we know has spread variously down my arm. This happened because I have a rare cervical rib which overtime caused compression around my neck / shoulder. With flying and repetitive motion for photography overtime made it worse.
They immediately brought me to the ER and I’ve been in the hospital since getting various tests.
Today I met with two vascular surgeons and they feel that starting me immediately on a treatment where they put a tube through me up to my shoulder so medicine can drop down and dissolve the clots in my arm is the best option to start. They aren’t sure how much it will help since the clot is at least a few weeks old but they believe it will clear it up enough to get feeling back into my hand / so the surgeon can get in there safely. I will be heavily medicated and out for up to six days so I kind of wanted to let everyone know what’s happening. I also need surgery to remove cervical rib.
Basically this month has been my own personal hell. I’ve been very quiet.
I have no idea what this means for my future or my career’s future. But I need all the positive vibes right now. I just want to use my hand again.
I’m going to be selling prints once I’m out of here to help me cover my medical costs so if you want to help please keep an eye out.”
**Update December 2nd**
“I completed the treatment and underwent a few procedures. Between the clot dissolvent and surgeons going in and manually working g on them, they’ve removed about 70% of the clots in my arm. The rest are in small vessels and the risk is greater to go in and get them than the benefit.
They allowed me to walk yesterday for the first time in almost a week.
Now I’m resting up and being taken off the strong pain killers and IV injected medicine. They need to put me on blood thinners for the rest of my life and I need to have an operation in my cervical rib and surrounding arteries within six months.
For now it’s a waiting game while my hand heals to see how much motion and feeling will come back.
I will hopefully be out of here by Monday.
This time has for the most part felt emotionally, mentally and physically dark and impossible. I appreciate the messages. I’ve read them all. When I’m out of here I’ll finish working on my print store.
Thanks
Help spread the word!”
