Donate to help Melbourne mum Sarah fight her AVM battle

Update: Sarah has now had her first surgery in Sydney. All went well and she is now recovering at home. Sarah's doctor has said her next surgery will be around November. Please see more details in update section below.

Given the surgery was in Sydney and not Italy, the costs were significantly lower than Sarah originally thought. Please feel free to request a refund on your donation if you would like to by contacting the GoFundMe team via the link below by Friday 15 August 2025. https://support.gofundme.com/hc/en-us/articles/204150420-Request-a-refund

Sarah's private health insurance covered some, but not all, of the treatment (because the treatment is new and doesn’t have a Medicare item number). The out-of-pocket medical costs, flights and accommodation came to just over $19,500.

Thanks for all the well wishes for Sarah and her family. It is much appreciated.

Our dear friend Sarah has been recently diagnosed with a large arteriovenous malformation (AVM), a rare, life-threatening vascular condition. AVMs can lead to disability, pain, deformities, uncontrolled bleeding and heart failure.

Sarah’s AVM is in her tongue, floor of mouth and under her chin, an area that is very complex to treat.

Although Sarah has experienced symptoms such as tongue bleeds for many years, her pregnancy four years ago seems to have triggered the growth of her AVM.

We are raising funds to help Sarah go to Sydney to have surgery.

Sarah has touched the lives of many people through her work in fitness, her roles in various charities and her work with children in foster care.

If you are able to give anything, small or large, to help Sarah and her family afford this vital surgery, it will be greatly appreciated.

About arteriovenous malformations

Present at birth, an AVM is a vascular abnormality that occurs when arteries and veins form direct connections, causing blood to bypass capillary beds. Over time, more and more of these connections form, creating a tangled mass of blood vessels.

The AVM “steals” blood – and therefore oxygen – from the surrounding tissues, which causes healthy cells to die. This leads to pain, infections, tissue death and functional impairments. An AVM in the tongue and mouth can cause difficulties with speech and swallowing, even breathing.

As the AVM grows, the pressure on the blood vessels increases. Massive – even fatal – haemorrhages can occur.

Complete eradication of the AVM is the only “cure.”

The solution

A new curative treatment for complex high flow AVMs in the face and neck is now being undertaken by a surgeon in Sydney (not in Milan as Sarah had previously thought).

All going well, Sarah’s surgery will involve 24 hours in ICU, and a further 5-7 days in hospital.

It is likely Sarah will need two surgeries, each a few months apart, to ensure the AVM is completely obliterated so it can’t regrow.

Associated costs

The cost of these surgeries and associated expenses hasn’t yet been confirmed by Sarah whether it will be covered by private insurance but will include :

- private surgeons’ fees

- anaesthesiologist fees

- medication

- flights for Sarah, Alex and Ollie to Sydney

- accommodation in Sydney after Sarah has been discharged from hospital

- support for the family while Alex takes time off work to care for Sarah and Ollie while she recovers.

Anything you can contribute towards these costs is greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for your support.

https://birthmark.org/birthmark/arteriovenous-malformation/