Lauren's "Lend a Hand" Fundraiser

On the 9th April 1989 Lauren Gardiner woke up paralysed from the chest down at just 9 years of age with a rare virus called Transverse Myelitis that back then affected only one person in 2.6 million. This was a day that changed Lauren’s life forever, but rather than let this diagnosis control her mentally and physically, Lauren took it in her stride and with her amazing “can do” attitude she went on to play Wheelchair Basketball nationally for 5 years. In 1998 Lauren had a healthy son, but unfortunately the pressure of the pregnancy on her back caused a severe scoliosis and resulted in her having to get her back totally fused with metal, spending almost a year in hospital. While raising her son Lauren continued to study, graduating as a Counsellor and majoring in Drug & Alcohol work. Despite being a paraplegic, Lauren never let anything slow her down, but in 2006 she was once again rushed to hospital with severe neck pain and was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). She has since battled with a lot of pain and chronic fatigue as a result of the MS, but continued to keep fighting on. Unable to work due to her MS, Lauren threw herself into her main love "Aussie Music" and began photographing concerts as a hobby. Music is Lauren’s passion and it has helped her cope through all the years when times were tough. In January 2018 Lauren woke in extreme pain and was rushed to her local hospital. After over 12 weeks of tests and doctors trying to source a diagnosis she was told she now had Fibromyalgia. She was also told that there is nothing else that could be done for her and that she should just take pain killers to deal with the pain and think about looking at permanent care. Anyone who knows Lauren will know that she is far from giving up, having been independent this far.  Lauren’s MS has been well controlled until recently, when large blood clots formed in her leg and groin. These clots are now causing constant swelling and pain in her left leg and her leg has tripled in size, making it an enormous weight for her to bare. Her spine has also started twisting around the existing metalwork, badly affecting her posture and she’s now got pains and loss of sensation on her arm too. We feel these problems should be dealt with ASAP, but instead she’s been placed in the “too hard basket” from the beginning, with no real attempts to help her and deal with her medical problems. Lauren is continuing to search for a spinal specialist who will take her on even if it means travelling to Sydney or Melbourne, she needs help rather than huge amounts of painkillers. Currently the pain is so bad that she only manages to get 2-3 hours of sleep per night, this doesn’t help with her recovery and is an enormous strain for her, both mentally and physically. As a result of all of this, Lauren is now home bound and requires ongoing care to stop her back from getting any worse and hopefully ease the pain and help her remain as independent as possible, which is Lauren’s main goal. Lauren has always given her time to help others, she is so incredibly brave, but she can’t fight alone any longer, she needs our help. We ask that you please support her to get back the young and vibrant Lauren we all know and love, who is also the most selfless person you will ever meet. Thank you for your support x