Hi everyone,

We are writing this on behalf of our good friend, Eva, because if you know her, you’ll know she is far too proud to ever ask for help herself!

She is the person everyone relies on - at home, at work, in her community. She is always the first to show up for others, always the one offering support, guidance, or practical help at the drop of a hat. But now, she’s facing something she simply cannot face alone.

Eva urgently needs life-changing spinal surgery to stop her condition from progressing to permanent disability or paralysis. Her body is already in what doctors describe as a pre-paralysis state, and once symptoms reach this point, they can worsen quickly. She is running out of time.

What’s Happening to Eva

For four years, Eva has been living with a frightening list of symptoms: loss of sensation, muscle weakness, burning nerve pain, tinnitus, dizziness, balance problems, painful joints, pressure headaches, neck & back pain, difficulty swallowing, and episodes where her legs simply give way beneath her. 

Every morning she wakes up wondering what new part of her body she might not feel.

Just recently, when her daughter woke up crying in the night, Eva went to her and her foot gave way and she fell.

This is the reality she is living with, and it’s getting worse!

Despite countless referrals - hearing tests, X-rays, musculoskeletal assessments, dermatology appointments - no one could explain what was happening to her. After four years of uncertainty, an MRI finally revealed the truth: Chiari I malformation and syringomyelia, two rare neurological conditions affecting the brain and spinal cord.

These conditions are progressive. The damage already done cannot be reversed - but the progression can be stopped.

Why the NHS Option Isn’t Possible

The NHS can only offer a major operation where part of the skull and spine are removed to create space for the brain. It’s highly invasive, carries significant risks, and requires a long and extremely painful recovery. Many patients often require repeat surgeries over the years to treat symptoms as they return.

Eva would be in hospital for up to a week, and then face 3-6 months of recovery at home, during which she would be in immense pain and on high levels of pain medication. During this time, she would be unable to parent - unable to lift, carry, support, or physically care for her children.

This would have a significant emotional impact on her daughter, who is autistic (Level 2) and has severe separation anxiety from Eva. Even small disruptions to routine are distressing for her - the idea of Eva being physically present but unable to comfort, hold, or care for her is simply not something the family can manage.

Eva is also her daughter’s registered carer, responsible for a level of daily support far higher than what is required for neurotypical children. A lengthy, restrictive recovery would make this impossible.

On top of this, Eva and her husband (who is also battling his own chronic illness) are working long hours trying to grow their small business. The NHS option would leave the family without the practical or emotional support they need to cope.

And with Eva’s symptoms progressing so quickly, she cannot afford to wait on the NHS list.

The Barcelona Option - Treating the Cause, Not the Symptoms

Eva recently reached out to the Institut Chiari & Siringomielia & Escoliosis de Barcelona (ICSEB), a specialist centre that takes a different approach.

While the NHS treats the symptoms - the Chiari and the syrinx - Barcelona believes Eva’s problems are caused by something deeper: abnormal tension on the spinal cord, known as Filum Disease.

In simple terms:

* If the spinal cord is pulled downward too tightly,

* it can drag the brain down (causing Chiari),

* disrupt spinal fluid flow (causing a syrinx).

Their minimally invasive surgery cuts a tiny structure at the base of the spine to release this tension. It doesn’t reverse the damage already done, but it can stop the progression and prevent further neurological loss.

No bone removal. No months-long recovery. No repeat surgeries. Just a chance to stop things from getting worse!

This treatment is not available on the NHS.

Why This Is Urgent

Eva has a consultation booked in Barcelona next week. If she is cleared for surgery, they will operate the very next day - because her condition is worsening too quickly to delay.

But this comes at a huge financial cost, and the impact on her family will be significant.

The Cost

The surgery, scans, travel, accommodation, and follow-up care come to over £25,000, not including loss of income. Eva does have critical illness cover on her life insurance, but her condition isn’t covered under her policy.

Eva would never ask for help. So we are asking for her!

What Eva Has Lost

Before all this, Eva was strong, active, outdoorsy - hiking, strength training, always on the go. She and her husband had been building their gym-wear brand together, showcasing it around the country, and now Eva has had to take a back seat - putting even more pressure on her husband.

Now, she struggles to walk more than short distances. She can’t pick up her children when they need her. She finds social situations overwhelming - the noise, the sensory overload, the pain - and her short-term memory has been affected, making conversations difficult to follow. She has lost confidence, independence, and the life she worked so hard to build.

But in true Eva style, she is determined to find a way to be there for her kids - and we admire her for that.

How You Can Help

Eva needs this surgery now. She needs stability, safety, and a chance to stop this before it becomes irreversible.

Any donation - no matter the size - will help Eva recover financially from the huge cost of accessing urgent treatment abroad. This surgery is essential, but it comes with a financial burden that no family could prepare for, especially while juggling work, caring responsibilities, and a rapidly progressing condition.

If you can donate, it will ease the pressure on Eva and her family at a time when they are already stretched beyond measure.

If you can’t donate, please share her story!

The more people who see this, the better her chances.

Thank you for helping us to help her!

Liz & Hannah x