DUNKERTON - Each time Londyn Adams gets a little rough or wild, her mother cringes.

It's not that she is worried the 3-year-old might get dirty or rip her jeans.

Jennifer Adams' worries are a matter of life and death.

On Feb. 10, Londyn Adams underwent surgery to attach two telescoping titanium rods onto her top ribs. The rods span the length of her back and rest on her hip bones. Though the rods correct the curve in Londyn's back, they also can cause some serious complications.

"She's 3, and she likes to jump, but if she falls wrong, the rod can shift and crack a rib, or pierce her lung or break through her skin," Jennifer said.

But given the other option - in December doctors gave Londyn months to live without medical intervention - the risk was worth taking.

Londyn was diagnosed with infantile idiopathic scoliosis at 4 months old. The condition is rare and found mostly in males, according to the National Scoliosis Foundation. At the time, Londyn's doctors hoped to delay the surgery to correct the curvature in her spine until she was about 5. Late last year they realized they would have to intervene much earlier.

"In a matter of three months the curve in her spine went from 55 degrees to 93 degrees. That was really drastic and unexpected," Jennifer said. "They told us because of her compromised lung function and because she kept getting respiratory infections we had to do something."

Jennifer, a Hawkeye Community College student, knew she had no choice. She also knew she was at the mercy of a temporary insurance company. Just a few weeks earlier her husband and Londyn's father, Shane, lost his job and the family's health insurance when the company he worked for dissolved. Though he continues to work as a welder, the jobs now take him out of town throughout the week and often straight through the weekend. And health insurance is not an option with the new gig.

Lori Keane, Jennifer's mother, lives in Missouri, but has spent several weeks helping out. Though she is still concerned about the risks of the procedure she said the changes in Londyn have been absolutely amazing.

"I think she's probably grown 3 inches since the surgery. She is just a completely different child. I can't get over it," Keane said.

The family carved out a piece of their budget to carry a COBRA insurance policy on Londyn. Jennifer said the insurance company originally approved the surgery, but have since rejected their claim, deeming the process "experimental."

Londyn will need additional surgeries to lengthen the rods every four to six months until she stops growing.

To further complicate matters, Jennifer learned she was pregnant with her third child - her oldest daughter, Allyson Santo, is 6 - in September. The little boy is due this May.

So, the family's friends and community are rallying in support. While Londyn was in the hospital in February, a small army of friends spent hours inside the Adams home completing drywall work that had been left unfinished for months while the family dealt with more pressing issues. Now, those same friends are planning a benefit for Londyn to raise money to help with the medical bills.

"We just want to help a family that is really trying to help themselves and through no fault of their own found themselves in a difficult predicament," said Sue Koppmann, a benefit co-organizer. "We had to come up with a way to support the family. We knew there was nothing we could really do for Londyn, but we hoped that helping out with the house and this benefit would help some."

Contact Emily Christensen at (319) 291-1570 or emily.christensen@wcfcourier.com.