Help Chloe Eat Again

A huge thank you to everyone who donated.  Chloe's health decline came to a head back in early November when she admitted to Dorset County Hospital weighing a little over 7 ½ stone with malnutrition and dehydration. (The malnutrition photographs were taken the day Chloe was admitted) Within days of being admitted Chloe was placed on TPN; Total Parenteral nutrition which had a phenomenal effect on her body. We all felt like we had “our Chloe" back. Although it hasn't all been plain sailing since then. Chloe was referred to Southampton hospital who have a very specialised nutrition support and intestinal failure ward who offer help to patients with complex gut disorders.  The gastroenterologists at DCH were in contact with the Doctors who work on this ward and were told the first thing they would try at Southampton would be an extension of her peg feeding tube into her intestines. The decision was made to do this procedure whilst Chloe was waiting for a bed in Southampton.  Unfortunately it was unsuccessful in getting through anywhere near the amounts Chloe would need to be sustained.  As it was clear Chloe no longer needed to go privately the decision was made for the family to use the gofundme money raised to help them with the additional costs the family incur when Chloe is in hospital.  These are for example Tony and Amelia eating their meals in the hospital so the family can still share that all important mealtime as a family everyday. During her 2 month stay in DCH Tony was also doing two round trips everyday so he could be with Chloe during the day but still be there to collect Amelia from school thentake her to spend the evenings with her Mum.  These weren't the only expenses just an example. On the 2nd January prayers were answered and Chloe was transferred to Southampton General Hospital.  Unfortunately Chloe developed a candida fungal infection in one of her picc lines in DCH in the week before Christmas which spread to her other line as it wasnt removed so by the time Chloe reached Southampton she had a bad fungal infection so the first 14 days in Southampton Chloe had no parenteral nutrition and was just receiving IV fluids, IV glucose and sodium, IV anti fungal antibiotics and antibiotics using the jpeg feeding tube into her intestines. Southampton is a three hour round trip from the family home in Dorset the expenses more then doubled. Even with a special rate applied parking alone costs £35 for 2 weeks.  To try to make the money stretch the family stopped seeing one another everyday however as you can imagine this has been tough on everyone.  On Friday Chloe was fitted with her Hickman line in her chest which is a central venous catheter that delivers her parenteral nutrition to her heart.  This is a great step on the path leading to home however Chloe's Doctor has explained she will still be in hospital for 3-4 weeks as long as there are no further complications.  As you can imagine Chloe is very homesick and having regular family visits in this final stretch is more important then ever because although getting the hickman line in is fantastic news understandably this whole ordeal and separation from her family is taking a real toll on Chloe's mental health. We are continuing to fundraise so the family can still have those all important regular visits and meals together.  They've also been told that Chloe could have weekend leave but would need to stay in a hotel in Southampton because long car journeys are especially painful for Chloe and if she spiked a temperature at home (indications of infection or sepsis two common side effects of TPN) she would be an hour and a half away from the hospital.  The family so appreciate everyone's generosity and are so touched by how the community have supported them through such a difficult chapter of their lives.  ***Original fundraiser*** Chloe is a wonderful, kind and inspiring friend. She is the strongest person I know but is also the most poorly. Seven Years ago she was an active Mummy, running around with her beautiful daughter Amelia. Since then she has been diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. This has meant that she has had her bowel removed, she catheterises daily, she has had sepsis and has limited lung function and she can't walk or stand unaided. She started to be tube fed a year ago but this has now stopped working and she now is taking in no calories at all. She exists on sips of water. Her BMI is now 15.2 and dropping. Her condition is so rare that there is one expert in London who can help resite her feeding tube so that she can take in desperately needed nutrition again. Each appointment costs £225 with train travel and hotel accomodation as she cannot travel long distances due to agonising pain. Please help us get her there so that she can be the mummy and wife she so desperately deserves to be.