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Bring Melissa to Her Life-Saving Surgery in the U.S.
On September 30, Melissa will undergo surgery in the United States. This operation could save her life, and she is finally within reach of getting the treatment she urgently needs. Now she still has to get there from Belgium, because this surgery is not available there. That is why we need your help.
Melissa is 43 and lives in Ghent, Belgium. She spends 23 hours a day lying flat. After an accident, her neck can no longer hold up her head, a result of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) combined with craniocervical instability (CCI/AAI). Without surgery, she risks becoming fully paralyzed, and her vital functions could fail.
In Belgium, the expertise for this rare procedure does not exist. Dr. Paolo Bolognese at the Chiari EDS Center in New York, one of the few specialists in the world who can help, is able to treat her. Thanks to thousands of generous people in Belgium, the surgery fund is growing every week toward the €200,000 needed, and the date of the operation is now confirmed.
This GoFundMe has one clear purpose: to cover the travel and accommodation costs for the trip to the U.S. The surgery itself is a major medical journey, not just an operation. Melissa must fly lying down, because she cannot sit upright. She will likely need to stay near the hospital for about five weeks, with a caregiver supporting her every day and helping with her needs.
The travel plan:
September 19: Departure from Brussels. Melissa flies lying down in business class with a flat-bed seat, while her caregiver travels in economy. If we do not act quickly, an ambulance flight may be needed, which would be much more expensive.
- September 20 to 22: Pre-operative tests at the Chiari EDS Center.
- September 23: Preparatory surgery under anesthesia, with pre-operative traction.
- September 23 to 29: Recovery from the preparatory surgery, plus consultations, imaging, and additional pre-operative testing at the Chiari EDS Center.
- September 30: Stabilization surgery under traction of the skull base and neck, to the level determined by the medical team. Vital structures will also be addressed during this procedure in a multi-disciplinary operation.
- October: Recovery and medical follow-up on site. The medical team may decide that a small additional procedure is needed, which is why the return trip is planned with extra time.
- October 23: Return flight to Belgium.
How your gift will be used:
- Flights Brussels/New York round trip: flat-bed seat for Melissa, economy for her caregiver. If we do not act quickly, an ambulance flight may be needed, which would cost much more. €5,000
- Accommodation: two-bedroom apartment near the hospital, 35 nights. €4,000
- Daily expenses, including transport for Melissa and her caregiver, 35 days. €5,000
- Local transport and airport transfers, adapted for lying-down transport. €1,000
- Travel insurance, travel documents, and unforeseen expenses. €3,000
- Total: €18,000
Transparency promise:
If Melissa can return home earlier because the additional procedure is not needed, the trip will cost €4,000 to €5,000 less. Any money left over will go directly to the surgery fund, rehabilitation, and medical costs related to this journey. No money will disappear. The final accounting of travel and medical costs will be shared on the website.
Join us:
Every donation, no matter how small, brings Melissa closer to the plane that can take her toward a second life.
- €115 = one night in accommodation near the hospital.
- €160 = one day on site for Melissa and her caregiver.
- €700 = her caregiver’s plane ticket.
- €5,000 = Melissa’s plane ticket.
U.S. based Dimy Faris was once in Melissa’s place. The surgeon Melissa is scheduled to see in September gave her back her life. Her words, ‘I was Melissa 11 years ago,’ carry the weight of someone who has lived this pain, survived it, and now wants to give Melissa the same chance at life. Melissa is raising the amount for the operation on a Belgian platform, but she still needs help to reach the operating room and take the final step toward healing.
If you cannot donate, sharing helps just as much. You may reach the one person who decides to help today.
On behalf of Melissa, her family, and everyone helping her: thank you.