Assist with Alfie’s chest - thoracic surgical needs

Hi, my name is Carrie and I have a wonderful, kind and caring just turned 16 year old who within the last couple of years, has developed pectus excavatum. He also has flared ribs at the bottom of his chest.

This is where the ribs don’t form correctly or form in towards the chest and can cause lots of issues. Alfie’s rib cage is currently pressing on his heart and lungs with his heart being pushed to the left of his chest and the ribs pushing in to the right side of the heart, his lungs are also impacted affecting his breathing. His spine sticks out of his back and his back is also slightly curved from this.

The NHS has only recently started surgery again for this condition, and currently only offer 60 surgery’s within the whole of the country per year. Alfie’s case fits the extreme category and after lots of extensive testing (mris, breathing tests, exercise tests, scans etc) the panel that make the decision on who fits the surgery requirements have decided he is eligible for the surgery.

Now, this surgery is extremely risky, and entails inserting a curved metal rod under the rib cage upside down and flipping it to push the bones of the chest wall out. Alfie has a broad deformity and would require two of these bars. The risks could be dire, as there is a risk the bars could dislodge, there’s a risk when putting them in in surgery as the organs are currently displaced, but also the risk when they remove them in 2 years of haemorrhaging. He would also be between bed rest and no sports or activities for months afterwards so as to not disturb the bars.

We have discussed this extensively with Alfie’s surgeon and he highly believes the non surgical option could either take away the need for surgery completely, or reduces what he needs doing - this is called a vaccum bell and a rib brace. A device that sits on Alfie’s chest for up to two years and pulls the chest outwards, and a brace to treat the flared ribs. The kicker with this is that the NHS won’t pay for it.

Therefore with the costs of this procedure as we need to go private, we would be so unbelievably grateful for any donations towards the whole process. Thank you for making it this far with the reading.

I have revised the total needed to reflect some other donations received

Thank you all so much