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Sarah Mitchell's surgery fund


Hey, I’m Sarah Mitchell

Those of you who know me know that I very rarely sit around for too long and am not one to be content in watching. This world is so incredible and there is so much to do and so much to experience and I have always tried to participate, discover, and learn as many things as possible; not wasting a second of my free time. Whether that be riding my BMX bike, hiking a new mountain, going snowboarding, figure skating, scuba diving, rock climbing, or even simply going for a run before bed. I never realized how much I relied on being active to feel alive and to provide me with perspective and as a result the last three months have left me feeling like I’m wasting my life away day by day. The thought of never being able to ride or even run properly again is actually destroying me.


This site has been suggested to me by a few friends over the last month but I have been hesitant to use it as I hate to be ‘that person’. I am aware there are many people a lot worse off than I am and I’m also aware everyone has their own struggles and costs in life. I’ve always believed in being self-sufficient and getting through things on my own, however at this point I have not been left with many options, as it has become imperative I get surgery as soon as possible and the costs are a LOT more than I was anticipating at approximately $10,000.

As many of you are aware I had a bad fall in early November last year that tore my posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in my knee. Long story short this injury was a lot worse than initially lead to believe and has progressively worsened over time including damage to my cartilage. The surgeon has advised me that if I do not get surgery almost immediately that my knee will continue to deteriorate and become damaged to the point where even with surgery in the future, it won’t fully recover.
This is because my fibula and tibia (lower leg) has been pushed back into my knee, making more of a ‘T’ intersection with my femur (upper leg), rather than a flush corner. Because of this, every time I bend or straighten my leg those bones slide where they shouldn’t be and wear away the joint in order to realign themselves.

The surgeon booked me in for surgery next tuesday, however the longevity (specialists and MRI results kept contradicting each other much to my growing frustration) and severity of this injury has now made surgery out of my financial reach, as I do not have health insurance. I know this is my own fault and some may say I get what I deserve for not having insurance, however you lean from your mistakes and this is a very costly one that I can’t make right. 

I have already spent thousands on initial GP and specialist visits, numerous MRIs, weekly physiotherapy sessions, and surgeon consultations.
For the surgery itself, the out of pocket surgeon fees are $3,433.95, the hospital fee is $4,800, and the anaesthetic fee is $910.00, equating to over $9,000. I will also have physiotherapy and gym costs for my rehabilitation, which is apparently longer than that of an ACL injury.

I was so excited for this year as I was to fulfill my dream of moving indefinitely to Canada in February (which I had postponed due to this injury); however now even with the entirety of my trip’s funds I am still unable to meet these upfront costs. I have been studying at university until 2015 so do not have much money saved and I will also have no income while I am recovering from surgery, as I am only casually employed. This was also an issue when I looked into getting a bank loan.

So here I am as a last resort, asking for ANY financial help so that I can have the surgery that I need; in hopes to eventually return to the person I once was and to live a full life again. I do not expect anything and certainly don’t feel I am owed anything, but if you are able to help in any way I would be eternally grateful as every bit makes a difference.

In the meantime live your lives to the fullest for me and appreciate being able to run and explore and be active (as I would kill to just run around the block right now). This beautiful world has been given to you to enjoy, so make the most of it.

Thank you in advance and thank you for taking the time to visit this page.

<3

Sarah



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Donations 

  • Nick Fallon
    • $40 
    • 7 yrs
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Organizer

Sarah Alice Mitchell
Organizer
Theodore ACT

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