Emma's VBT surgery Wish
Donation protected
Hi. My name is Jackie Trumper ,
I live in Skerries Co. Dublin I have thought long and hard about what I'm about to do and to be honest I just feel right now I don’t have a choice.
My story ...
Until April 2017 my daughter Emma was a happy normal 10 year old. She loves you tube and minecraft and isn’t your typical girlyy girly.
In April 2017 my daughter had a fall from her skates and complained of a sore lower back, it was while having her back x-rayed the doctor noticed she had a curve on her spine. They decided to do more tests and it was then that my whole world began to fall apart. Doctors called me in and sat me down and told me Emma had a condition known as scoliosis .What that means is her spine is curved. Now it varies from one person to the next but the news that Emma's was at 52° left us knowing that she was at the sever end of the scale, a thoracic curve like this also effects positioning of organs and bones.
Now as we sat and listened to the doctors explain the probabilities and the interventions offered we felt nothing the Doctors words where lost in a haze of confusion and fear. We her family, where numb.
Emma was offered a spinal fusion, scoliosis surgery, in which two stainless steel rods and screws are implanted along the spinal column, This should in turn help straighten up the spine.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/spinal-fusion/details/risks/cmc-20155755
This procedure comes with a list of complications .Once fully healed the fused spine will not grow and does not bend.
Emma being 10 with such a severe curve and still growing would cause a lot of complications because her growth plates are still wide open.
I just couldn't believe that this was all the hope my little girl had.
Having spent the following nights researching I discovered there is another option.
VBT – Vertebral Body Tethering
VBT is a minimally invasive surgical .Bone screws are anchored to the front of each vertebral bone and a flexible cord (the tether) is attached to each screw and tensioned to achieve the spine straightening. Unlike fusion, VBT allows for continued growth and mobility of the entire spine as well as additional straightening of the spine as Emma finishes growing.
Fewer complications, quicker recovery, better success rate but for some reason this is not offered in Ireland. It’s not offered in the UK. It is however done in USA Germany and Turkey the cost of the VBT surgery is very expensive so I was at a loss until I came across Shriners childrens hospital Philadelphia all medical treatment is covered by the hospital, This for Emma has been the light at the end of the tunnel.
I need to fund raise for up to 6 weeks of accommodation for myself and Emma and Flights and transfers to the USA. Plus daily living expenses and other unforeseen expenses.
My goal is €25,000.
So I have come to this. I don't want to expose my daughter and her health like this but we have no choice.
I have to ask my entire friend’s, all my family, and my neighbours to help me help Emma.
Without this surgery her only choice is to endure an operation that will not give her the best chance in life.
I know finding funds is difficult for so many right now. I know there are people fund raising for so many different things but Emma is my baby and I HAVE to do this.
I can only ask for help like this.
If you can donate anything at all know that it will go a long way towards saving my baby girl from a life of pain.
Currently she is 52° thoracic curve and 39° lumber curve.
The rate of her curve regression is at the highest level possible so time is not something that we have.
Please please share this for me .Ask your friends ask your family. I need help right now. Emma needs help.
I believe people are good.
Thank you for reading, for donating, for sharing and for caring.
Jackie
I live in Skerries Co. Dublin I have thought long and hard about what I'm about to do and to be honest I just feel right now I don’t have a choice.
My story ...
Until April 2017 my daughter Emma was a happy normal 10 year old. She loves you tube and minecraft and isn’t your typical girlyy girly.
In April 2017 my daughter had a fall from her skates and complained of a sore lower back, it was while having her back x-rayed the doctor noticed she had a curve on her spine. They decided to do more tests and it was then that my whole world began to fall apart. Doctors called me in and sat me down and told me Emma had a condition known as scoliosis .What that means is her spine is curved. Now it varies from one person to the next but the news that Emma's was at 52° left us knowing that she was at the sever end of the scale, a thoracic curve like this also effects positioning of organs and bones.
Now as we sat and listened to the doctors explain the probabilities and the interventions offered we felt nothing the Doctors words where lost in a haze of confusion and fear. We her family, where numb.
Emma was offered a spinal fusion, scoliosis surgery, in which two stainless steel rods and screws are implanted along the spinal column, This should in turn help straighten up the spine.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/spinal-fusion/details/risks/cmc-20155755
This procedure comes with a list of complications .Once fully healed the fused spine will not grow and does not bend.
Emma being 10 with such a severe curve and still growing would cause a lot of complications because her growth plates are still wide open.
I just couldn't believe that this was all the hope my little girl had.
Having spent the following nights researching I discovered there is another option.
VBT – Vertebral Body Tethering
VBT is a minimally invasive surgical .Bone screws are anchored to the front of each vertebral bone and a flexible cord (the tether) is attached to each screw and tensioned to achieve the spine straightening. Unlike fusion, VBT allows for continued growth and mobility of the entire spine as well as additional straightening of the spine as Emma finishes growing.
Fewer complications, quicker recovery, better success rate but for some reason this is not offered in Ireland. It’s not offered in the UK. It is however done in USA Germany and Turkey the cost of the VBT surgery is very expensive so I was at a loss until I came across Shriners childrens hospital Philadelphia all medical treatment is covered by the hospital, This for Emma has been the light at the end of the tunnel.
I need to fund raise for up to 6 weeks of accommodation for myself and Emma and Flights and transfers to the USA. Plus daily living expenses and other unforeseen expenses.
My goal is €25,000.
So I have come to this. I don't want to expose my daughter and her health like this but we have no choice.
I have to ask my entire friend’s, all my family, and my neighbours to help me help Emma.
Without this surgery her only choice is to endure an operation that will not give her the best chance in life.
I know finding funds is difficult for so many right now. I know there are people fund raising for so many different things but Emma is my baby and I HAVE to do this.
I can only ask for help like this.
If you can donate anything at all know that it will go a long way towards saving my baby girl from a life of pain.
Currently she is 52° thoracic curve and 39° lumber curve.
The rate of her curve regression is at the highest level possible so time is not something that we have.
Please please share this for me .Ask your friends ask your family. I need help right now. Emma needs help.
I believe people are good.
Thank you for reading, for donating, for sharing and for caring.
Jackie
Organizer
Jackie Trumper
Organizer
County Kildare
