Please help save Gem's life, her babies need her

Hello my name is Nikki. My beautiful sister Gemma has a congenital heart disorder which needs surgery. Only discovered as an adult, Gemma needs a new valve in her heart and a repair to an aneurysm in her Aorta. Gemma is a wife and a Mummy to three children they fought very hard to get. Sadly, in the last few months following contracting COVID, her heart has deteriorated. Due to the pandemic, there is currently a backlog in the NHS which is having an impact on these

types of surgeries being carried out before further damage is done to the heart. The surgery involves opening up her chest, breaking her ribs (full sternotomy) and will leave her incapacitated for 12 weeks while she heals after having her ribs held together with wires.  Fixing this is available on the NHS, but Gemma will be forced to wait until her valve becomes critical. The recommended valve for Gemma’s age group on the NHS is a mechanical valve which is (generally) a one and done procedure; however, she will be required to take warfarin for the rest of her life and continually monitor her INR levels, which also means she cannot safely have any further surgery for the Lipoedema in her legs. The procedure is carried out via open heart surgery, meaning that Gemma will be more or less incapacitated for 3 months and will miss doing the things she loves with her 3 beautiful children.

An alternative option is available by an amazing surgeon in the Greater London area. This procedure involves breaking only 2 ribs to gain access to the heart and replacing her faulty valve with an Edwards Inspiris Resilia valve - a new valve grown from bovine cells. This new valve may not require replacement before at least 20 years and Gemma’s recovery is significantly reduced to between 6 and 8 days, Not to mention taking out the danger of having to wait for this life saving surgery.  She will not be required to take any blood thinning medication (other than for a short time after surgery) and will be able to lead a full and normal life, whilst also being in a fit condition for surgery on her Lipoedema which could also see her in a wheelchair in the next 10 years.
A quicker recovery time means she gets back to her babies sooner. 

We need to raise £33,000 to get her this surgery and save her life.
We are scared for her, her husband and young family. We love her so much and intend to fundraise as much as we can to help. Please have a heart and help us mend my sister's heart too. Thank you.

Read more about Lipoedema here https://www.lipoedema.co.uk/

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