My beautiful friend Ashley has spent her whole life pushing through challenges most of us can’t imagine. All with quiet strength and unwavering determination.

Ash was born with hip dysplasia, a condition where the hip joint doesn’t form properly. It’s something many people don’t think twice about, but for Ash, it’s been a lifelong battle: pain, instability, clicking joints, and a body that’s always been just a bit out of sync. Still, she never let it stop her.

Through CrossFit, Pilates, and countless hours at the gym, Ash found joy and freedom in movement despite the discomfort it often brought. She invested thousands into physiotherapy to manage her pain and delay the inevitable hip replacement surgeries doctors warned her would eventually come.

At just 17 years old, Ash underwent her first surgery, where doctors drilled into the femoral head in an attempt to stimulate bone growth and preserve the joint. It was during this procedure that they discovered she was already showing signs of avascular necrosis, a condition where poor blood supply leads to the death of bone tissue.

Last year, things took a difficult turn.

After noticing worsening pain and mobility issues, Ash sought a second opinion. The scan showed severe joint damage and avascular necrosis, meaning her hip wasn’t just deteriorating; it was already beyond saving. Surgery wasn’t a “maybe” anymore — it was urgent.

Despite years of paying for private health insurance, Ash was told her policy didn’t cover joint replacements, only reconstructions. Due to this cruel technicality, none of the hospital or surgical costs were covered. With no other option, she used nearly all her savings (towards a house deposit) to cover the full cost - tens of thousands of dollars- and underwent the complicated hip replacement.

The surgery was more complicated and tougher than expected. It was longer, more invasive, and left Ash with a severe pressure injury that delayed her healing. Recovery took over four months; four months without the ability to work, using up all her annual and sick leave just to get by.

Since then, Ash has faced ongoing complications: torn muscles, ligament damage, joint instability, and new pain in her sacroiliac joint. Her active lifestyle has been stripped away, replaced by tailored rehab programs and careful physio, just to help her walk comfortably.

At her 12-month follow-up, Ash received more heartbreaking news:
- Her left hip may need a revision surgery.
 Her right hip is now also showing signs of avascular necrosis, meaning she may need a second replacement soon.

Ash is only 28 years old. Most people don’t face these surgeries until their 60s or later, but for Ash, this has been her reality since birth. She’s endured it all with grace, humour, and an incredible ability to keep going, no matter what.

Now, she’s preparing for what may be another major surgery and a new round of recovery. Her insurance will finally cover the procedure but not the time off work, the rehab, the living costs, and the emotional toll of starting all over again. That’s where we come in.

Ash has already picked up extra shifts at work as an ICU nurse, doing everything she can to prepare financially. But it’s not enough. We want to raise funds so that Ash can focus entirely on healing, not worrying about how she’ll pay the bills, or if she needs to rush back to work too soon.

This fundraiser is to help Ash:


- Cover living expenses during her recovery

- Access the best possible rehab and physiotherapy


- Take the time she needs to heal fully physically, mentally, and emotionally


- Get back to the life she deserves: strong, happy, and doing what she loves

Ash is the kind of person who shows up for others, even when she’s hurting. Now it’s our turn to show up for her. She deserves the chance to recover fully, to move freely again, and to live the kind of life a 28-year-old should be living; one filled with activity, health, and hope.

Any amount, no matter how small, helps ease a little bit of the burden she’s carried for so long.

Let’s help Ash close this painful chapter and begin a new one filled with hope, movement, and joy.

Thank you for your love and support.