Rare Injury Alters Young Girls Life
Donation protected
On April 5th, 2015, Sarah Tomlinson was a regular nineteen year old 2nd year business student studying hard for final exams at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, BC. In her spare time she enjoyed walking her pug, horseback riding, and was a devoted member of the 4H club for the past 8 years. She had high aspirations of completing her undergrad, perusing a career in occupational therapy, and one day having a family of her own.
The following day she began to experience extreme discomfort and the sudden loss of motor function in her legs, and was later diagnosed with spinal arteriovenous malformation (or AVM). This rare condition consists of tangling of arteries and veins in the lower spinal cord, located at the T12 vertebrae in Sarah’s particular case. Normally AVM’s cause no physical harm and are not detected, but in Sarah’s situation the AVM had burst and begun to bleed on her spinal cord. Because the condition is so rare, the doctors at Royal Inland Hospital failed to recognize the severity of her symptoms and she suffered from internal bleeding for four days before the diagnosis was made. Sarah was then immediately airlifted to Vancouver General Hospital, where she was rushed into surgery to stop the bleeding to save her life. Her surgeons were able to pin off 90% of the AVM stopping the bleeding, but when Sarah awoke she was no longer able to move from the waist down. Sarah was given the prognosis of a paraplegic, and her doctor’s stated she would never walk again. She was then sent to George Frederick Strong Rehab Centre in Vancouver to recover and adjust to her new lifestyle in a wheelchair. Months passed by, and much to her doctor’s disbelief, Sarah slowly was able to wiggle her toes. Sarah excelled in physiotherapy and, against all odds, progressed from a power chair, to a manual wheelchair, to a walker, to arm crutches, and finally to walking canes. By the time she returned home to her family in Kamloops at the end of summer 2015, she was walking short distances on her own.
As her condition has only been seen 4 other times at Vancouver General hospital in the past 30 years, current information is scarce, leaving many unanswered questions and unpredictable complications. After living at home for 10 months, her symptoms resurfaced and she began to experience pain once again. She was sent back to Vancouver General, and an MRI scan revealed portions of the AVM were still present and there was a high risk of it bursting and bleeding once again. After fighting for a year to re-gain her ability to walk, Sarah learned she may lose all her progress and likely never gain it back. The AVM is located within her lower spinal cord made up of essential arteries feeding the rest of her body, making surgery very risky and done incorrectly could cause further damage and paralysis. Unfortunately, the surgeons at Vancouver General lack experience with the complicated surgery she needs, and she is currently being transferred to Toronto General Hospital where two AVM specialists reside.
Canadian Health Care unfortunately does not cover her flights to and from Toronto or extra living costs for the months she’s there, as well as her family’s trips across Canada to visit her while she is admitted. After modifications to their home and numerous expenses from traveling/living in Vancouver throughout this past year, the Tomlinson family would greatly appreciate any and all help with regards to flight costs and hotel rooms for the next difficult times ahead. Sarah’s new specialists in Toronto plan on taking immediate action at the beginning of June 2016 to prevent further loss of movement and function. We would like to kindly ask that you show your support by taking the time to donate, whether it be financially, emotionally, or spiritually. As Sarah continues this new and challenging chapter in her life, she has high hopes of regaining a normal lifestyle once again.
The following day she began to experience extreme discomfort and the sudden loss of motor function in her legs, and was later diagnosed with spinal arteriovenous malformation (or AVM). This rare condition consists of tangling of arteries and veins in the lower spinal cord, located at the T12 vertebrae in Sarah’s particular case. Normally AVM’s cause no physical harm and are not detected, but in Sarah’s situation the AVM had burst and begun to bleed on her spinal cord. Because the condition is so rare, the doctors at Royal Inland Hospital failed to recognize the severity of her symptoms and she suffered from internal bleeding for four days before the diagnosis was made. Sarah was then immediately airlifted to Vancouver General Hospital, where she was rushed into surgery to stop the bleeding to save her life. Her surgeons were able to pin off 90% of the AVM stopping the bleeding, but when Sarah awoke she was no longer able to move from the waist down. Sarah was given the prognosis of a paraplegic, and her doctor’s stated she would never walk again. She was then sent to George Frederick Strong Rehab Centre in Vancouver to recover and adjust to her new lifestyle in a wheelchair. Months passed by, and much to her doctor’s disbelief, Sarah slowly was able to wiggle her toes. Sarah excelled in physiotherapy and, against all odds, progressed from a power chair, to a manual wheelchair, to a walker, to arm crutches, and finally to walking canes. By the time she returned home to her family in Kamloops at the end of summer 2015, she was walking short distances on her own.
As her condition has only been seen 4 other times at Vancouver General hospital in the past 30 years, current information is scarce, leaving many unanswered questions and unpredictable complications. After living at home for 10 months, her symptoms resurfaced and she began to experience pain once again. She was sent back to Vancouver General, and an MRI scan revealed portions of the AVM were still present and there was a high risk of it bursting and bleeding once again. After fighting for a year to re-gain her ability to walk, Sarah learned she may lose all her progress and likely never gain it back. The AVM is located within her lower spinal cord made up of essential arteries feeding the rest of her body, making surgery very risky and done incorrectly could cause further damage and paralysis. Unfortunately, the surgeons at Vancouver General lack experience with the complicated surgery she needs, and she is currently being transferred to Toronto General Hospital where two AVM specialists reside.
Canadian Health Care unfortunately does not cover her flights to and from Toronto or extra living costs for the months she’s there, as well as her family’s trips across Canada to visit her while she is admitted. After modifications to their home and numerous expenses from traveling/living in Vancouver throughout this past year, the Tomlinson family would greatly appreciate any and all help with regards to flight costs and hotel rooms for the next difficult times ahead. Sarah’s new specialists in Toronto plan on taking immediate action at the beginning of June 2016 to prevent further loss of movement and function. We would like to kindly ask that you show your support by taking the time to donate, whether it be financially, emotionally, or spiritually. As Sarah continues this new and challenging chapter in her life, she has high hopes of regaining a normal lifestyle once again.
Organizer
Rose Tomlinson
Organizer
Kamloops, BC
