#rainsfight

Hello!

I'm Belinda and I'm raising funds to support Rain and her families continuing medical bills as we fight for her survival.

Some information about Rain and her conditions below.

All Rain’s life she has suffered from what DR’s told her was irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety and depression. Rain’s Mum and Rain in fact knew that this wasn’t true and tried to investigate all her symptoms. One diagnosis early on for thalassemia (body doesn’t produce healthy haemoglobin) As Rain’s symptoms were not textbook for any condition, she had to investigate each condition separately.

After she gave birth to Stanley in August 2021, her symptoms became almost unbearable. On the 16th of November 2022 Rain got her pain validated. It wasn’t anxiety, it wasn’t irritable bowel syndrome it was in fact Nutcracker Syndrome.

Nutcracker you say. No, it’s not those cute little tin soldiers you see at Christmas! In fact, they have now been removed from my Christmas Table and they now have their own seat at Rain’s Table. “We choose humour instead of sadness, for laughter is the key to happiness, right?”

On a serious note, now, Nutcracker is a rare renal compression syndrome that causes left flank pain (abdominal pain), pelvic congestion & varicose veins. Rain has been blessed with both anterior and posterior compressions. One that compresses her left renal vein to the left kidney as well as the retro aortic left renal vein that is compressed between the aorta and vertebrae.

Nutcracker compressions trigger multiple other compressions to form; just some of these compressions are May Thurner (iliac vein compression – causes blood to pool in the legs), SMA (Superior Mesenteric artery syndrome – intestinal obstruction), Nutcracker triggered POTS (erratic heart, drops in blood pressure, raised body temp), we are in the process of getting other compressions diagnosed.

We sought the help of an experienced Sonographer in Germany to help us understand the severity of these conditions. We now have to find the right DR to accept the Sonographer’s findings.

Rain needs an Auto Transplant completed as soon as possible, this surgery involves moving her left kidney to the right side of her body in open torso surgery.

Since Rain’s diagnosis we have fought every GP and every Surgeon in Australia to get her the surgery that she requires here to live a quality of life.

Australia does not provide this type of surgery. Yes even in a first world country we do not have the experienced team to complete this surgery.

We are raising funds to help fund Rain’s health journey here in Australia and the USA.