Debbie's fight for life
Donation protected
<iframe media_type="0" media_id="k5tv_HiAZxc" class="youtube-replace" title="YouTube video player" style="margin-bottom:20px;width:560px;height:315px;" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/k5tv_HiAZxc/?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="1"></iframe>
My name is Debbie I am a fun loving person with three children and a zest for life. I am in need of urgent neurosurgery due to a recent MRI confirming my unstable neck is crushing my brain stem and a vital artery. This is causing my current symptoms but this also puts me at a high risk of stroke or heart attack. Treatment is unavailable in the UK so my only answer is to travel to Spain to have it done!
I have been living with a connective tissue disorder Elhers Danlos Syndrome for my whole life but up until 2009 it gave me only minor symptoms.
In 2009 things changed abruptly when i started to suffer with chronic pain, daily headaches, vomiting and some significant changes in the function of some of my organs. Being the determined person I am I tried hard to not let it affect my quality of life but this is where my fight began in getting answers.
After 4 long years I was told in 2013 I had Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and its associated conditions Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia (POTS) and Fowlers Syndrome.
This condtions means as well as suffering with my original symptoms I now have daily subluxations of all of my joints, frequent dislocations, easy bruising and poor skin healing, I have had countless hospital stays and multiple operations to help repair hernias, stabilise joints and help improve symptoms. Due to this condition being a multisystemic condition it can affect everywhere and anywhere.
In February my health deteriorated yet again! I now struggle to sit for long periods of time, I have a severe weakness in my left leg and altered function in my left hand. I am extremely fatigued and unable to do many tasks unassisted. I have constant neck pain, problems with my vision, dizziness, poor balance, tinnitus, memory problems, a tremor and muscle spasms. I have seen things are deteriorating and new symptoms are starting every day.
Just recently an upright MRI scan has revealed that i now have Cranial cervical instability (CCI) and atlanto axial instability (AAI). This means that due to my neck being unstable in few areas I now have compression of the brain stem and an artey that leads to my brain. I risk a complete neck dislocation that could leave me paralysed or potentially a stroke or heart attack can be caused by the compression of the artery. The damage done now may be irreversable so i am desperate for help urgently! I need lifesaving surgery but due to the complexities of my condition this can be risky yet is essential to my survival and urgent to preserve my quality of life.
Currently the surgeons in the UK do not offer this surgery as a result i need to travel to Spain where a surgeon, Dr Gilete, has experience of doing this lifesaving operation on people like me.
I now have to raise a staggering amount of money, £60,000 to enable me to survive and hopefully return to my old self.
My name is Debbie I am a fun loving person with three children and a zest for life. I am in need of urgent neurosurgery due to a recent MRI confirming my unstable neck is crushing my brain stem and a vital artery. This is causing my current symptoms but this also puts me at a high risk of stroke or heart attack. Treatment is unavailable in the UK so my only answer is to travel to Spain to have it done!
I have been living with a connective tissue disorder Elhers Danlos Syndrome for my whole life but up until 2009 it gave me only minor symptoms.
In 2009 things changed abruptly when i started to suffer with chronic pain, daily headaches, vomiting and some significant changes in the function of some of my organs. Being the determined person I am I tried hard to not let it affect my quality of life but this is where my fight began in getting answers.
After 4 long years I was told in 2013 I had Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and its associated conditions Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia (POTS) and Fowlers Syndrome.
This condtions means as well as suffering with my original symptoms I now have daily subluxations of all of my joints, frequent dislocations, easy bruising and poor skin healing, I have had countless hospital stays and multiple operations to help repair hernias, stabilise joints and help improve symptoms. Due to this condition being a multisystemic condition it can affect everywhere and anywhere.
In February my health deteriorated yet again! I now struggle to sit for long periods of time, I have a severe weakness in my left leg and altered function in my left hand. I am extremely fatigued and unable to do many tasks unassisted. I have constant neck pain, problems with my vision, dizziness, poor balance, tinnitus, memory problems, a tremor and muscle spasms. I have seen things are deteriorating and new symptoms are starting every day.
Just recently an upright MRI scan has revealed that i now have Cranial cervical instability (CCI) and atlanto axial instability (AAI). This means that due to my neck being unstable in few areas I now have compression of the brain stem and an artey that leads to my brain. I risk a complete neck dislocation that could leave me paralysed or potentially a stroke or heart attack can be caused by the compression of the artery. The damage done now may be irreversable so i am desperate for help urgently! I need lifesaving surgery but due to the complexities of my condition this can be risky yet is essential to my survival and urgent to preserve my quality of life.
Currently the surgeons in the UK do not offer this surgery as a result i need to travel to Spain where a surgeon, Dr Gilete, has experience of doing this lifesaving operation on people like me.
I now have to raise a staggering amount of money, £60,000 to enable me to survive and hopefully return to my old self.
Organizer
Debbie Rocke
Organizer
