Help Teagan with her journey through surgery.

Hi my name is Cheyarne Giles, and as many of you know- I am Teagan’s older sister.

As Teagan would never do something like this for herself, I have decided to ask for help and support for her. I have taken her to and from appointments, been with her for test results, helped her get back on her feet, showered her when she couldn’t do it herself and was the one person there when she woke up after each surgery, I live with Teagan and see the everyday impacts that chronic pain has on her life. Although I am always there, it seems now we need a bit more help that I alone can’t offer. After watching her go through the ups and downs of several surgeries over the years and the impacts this has on her mentally, she still manages to try and keep a positive mindset. All I want is to hopefully help Teagan get back to the strongest version of herself.

However, Teagan has just received some devastating news. As some of you may know, Teagan underwent her first surgery on her right hip in 2018, at just 18 years old, after suffering with excruciating pain and discomfort for 3 years. This surgery was to repair a labral tear in her hip joint which impacted her everyday movement and ability to walk with ease.

In 2021 Teagan began to feel a very similar pain in her left hip. After several scans, imaging tests and injections- she was diagnosed with a labral tear now in her left hip and was immediately placed on the public waitlist for surgery. She then waited a year and heard nothing, so she called the hospital and was told that after Covid, the public waitlist for surgery was a 3-4 year wait and she was currently on the waitlist just for a consult. It became clear that this was not an option as her hip was already deteriorating and affecting her everyday life significantly.

Teagan then had to go through a stressful and complicated process to apply to withdraw her superannuation due to needing immediate surgery through the private system, which was a costly medical bill in itself. With the strong evidence from her medical team, she was approved to withdraw her superannuation and proceeded to book in for immediate surgery in February 2024. Due to the rules of withdrawing superannuation on medical grounds, this only covered the cost of the surgery itself, not the 8 weeks off she required at minimum to be able to heal.

Teagan also had to take out a personal loan to be able to continue to pay her weekly bills and expenses while she had to have those 8 weeks off work to recover, and attend weekly physio sessions to get her back on her feet.

This surgery on her left hip was successful & she faced a long 6 month journey to recovery.

However, at Teagan’s 3 month check up with her surgeon, she expressed she had been experiencing severe pain in her right hip (first operated on in 2018). Her surgeon then ordered immediate medical imaging to investigate.

After an MRI and CT scan in June 2024, it was discovered she now had another labral tear and an Osteoid Osteoma (a benign bone tumor) in her right hip joint as well as visible early arthritis of her bones.

It was obvious that this was already impacting massively on her body, as she was still recovering from her previous surgery in February 2024.

Teagan then had to consult with her surgeon & medical team, and she was advised that she needed to undergo another operation and this was a surgery that could not wait. The current waitlist for surgery through the public healthcare system is still 3 years.

Her surgeon informed her that this bone tumor was leading to irreversible joint damage and accelerating arthritic changes in her hip.

To give you an idea, her surgery in February was a cost just short of $20,000. She is now currently in the process of applying to withdraw from her superannuation again, which will completely exhaust all of her superannuation which she has been working to build since she was 17. This however, does not cover the time she requires off work to heal. Teagan works 38+ hours each week as a casual employee to cover her weekly expenses, of which she will be without during the recovery period.

This will be her 2nd surgery within 12 months, and after all the hard work she has just put in with recovering and learning to walk after surgery, she will have to start again and do the same with her right hip.

With the high cost of living expenses and the time off required for this surgery, I am reaching out on behalf of my little sister for any and all help to get her the time off she needs to be able to take the time to heal, learn to walk again and so she can hopefully avoid further complications.

I appreciate and am extremely aware that everyone is struggling with the current cost of living right now, however I would not be posting this if help was not needed.

I am extremely grateful for any and all help so I can see my little sister get the medical help she needs to return to a somewhat normal 24 year old life.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your kindness, generosity and support.

With so much love,

Cheyarne Giles ❤️