Hi, my name is Laura and I’m reaching out with a heavy heart and a hopeful spirit.

Over the last seven months, I’ve been seriously unwell with recurrent bouts of severe tonsillitis. I’ve been hospitalised twice already for four-day stays and I’m currently going through my third episode. Because I’m allergic to penicillin, my treatment becomes complicated and intense, involving IV steroids, fluids, and multiple antibiotics.

Despite how badly it’s affecting my life, I don’t meet the strict NHS criteria to have my tonsils removed (they require 10 episodes in a year). Even though I’ve been added to the waiting list, the “urgent” wait time is 65 weeks and there’s still a real chance they may reject my referral. That’s potentially over a year more of pain, hospital stays, missed work, and exhaustion, physically, emotionally, and financially.

I’m a single parent to my lovely 4-year-old, Tommy. With my family living three hours away and his dad around 50 minutes away, each hospital admission becomes a challenge. I lose income while I’m unwell and finding someone to care for Tommy at short notice when people have lives and jobs can be difficult. Typically I always seem to fall ill when Tommy is with me and not his dad.

I’m able to get them removed privately at The Manor Hospital in Oxford at the cost of £4500 with a wait time of just 4 - 6 weeks (maybe even quicker) This surgery would change everything. No more hospital stays, no more missed work, no more fear of the next infection.

I’m hoping to raise £4,700 total, the extra £200 will help cover expenses like getting Tommy to snd from the people in our lives that will care for him whilst I recover, or to pay a bit to those people for income they will inevitably have to lose.

If you’re able to help, no matter how small the amount, I would be beyond grateful. Every donation brings me one step closer to being healthy and able to fully show up for Tommy and our life again.

Thank you for reading, for caring and for being part of this journey with us.

With love and hope,

Laura xx