Life Saving Surgery in Germany!

Hi,

My name is Leah and I've been diagnosed with Abdominal Vascular Compression Syndromes. Unfortunately, these are very misunderstood conditions around the world and the only Dr's that can really help me using more detailed scans and performing major abdominal surgery are located in Germany. The team has very kindly given me an appointment on 17 October 2024 for the scans and 5 November 2024 for the surgery, to take place in Germany. This leaves me with very limited time to try and save enough money for this life-saving procedure. Your donation would go towards the travel, pre-operative scans, surgery, and post-operative care to be undertaken over the course of about six weeks in Germany before I am able to return home.

In 2017 I was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome at around 30 years old, and my health deteriorated causing me to lose everything in the summer of 2021. Since then, I have clawed my way back to some sort of life, living with chronic pain in my right side that I've endured since I was 7. At the time, I ended up in the children's ward in hospital just to be told that I was a nervous child and it was all in my head. I've endured this pain for most of my life, both physical as well as the mental pain of not being believed and being dismissed by medical professionals.

After being diagnosed with EDS and my health deteriorating I had lots of issues with pain and eating, which ultimately led to me being administered nutrition by IV (TPN) after I reached a weight of only 49kgs. This last resort saved my life at that moment, but it was not a fix. I had a year or two with not too many issues, and got to live some with normalcy for a while. I even managed to meet my amazing partner during that time. Unfortunately, that time came to an end at the end of March 2024 when my symptoms returned.

Over the past 6 months I have lost over 16kgs and my health is rapidly deteriorating. I have been refused treatment by my local hospital twice, even though my medical specialists have requested standard treatment for my current conditions including tube feeding and a hickman line for fluids to try and keep me in as good condition as possible and to keep me from becoming malnourished. I was diagnosed with Gastroparesis in June, which has contributed my inability to eat or drink as its not passing through my stomach quick enough.

Sadly I lost my job due to my health, and have been loaded with medical bills from all of my conditions. I have had to pay for scans and appointments with specialists over two hours away by plane to finally be diagnosed with Abdominal Vascular Compression Syndrome's.

I reached out to the team in Germany and they have booked me in urgently for more scans on the 17/10/24 and surgery 05/11/24 as, without them, I will continue to decline and with no access to adequate medical care here I am stuck and ultimately could die.

This is a very short time frame, but it is to save my life and give me the best chance possible at recovery and hopefully get me back working at an accommodating company, potentially a career change from Health and Safety Advisor to being an advocate to help others with my conditions as we cant keep being treated the way I and others have been.

The money will be spent on return flights to Germany, Surgery - 2 weeks recovery in Hospital then a month recovery in Germany as there will be lots of follow up appointments and check ups before being cleared to leave Germany and fly back to NZ.