Sarah's medical campaign 2024

2024 Campaign update

As we pass the first quarter of the year we have finally got around to updating the page for 2024! 

Firstly, it seems fitting to celebrate what your donations have achieved since this campaign started. Your donations have been vital in navigating difficult times for Sarah on so many occasions. Whether this has been giving funds for emergency hospital visits for injury or illness, for planned hospital or medical visits for fundamental care, or contributing to the expense of various medications, we are so grateful for the gifts you have given.

For 2024, the goal remains the same. To enable Sarah’s long-term independence, quality of life and medical intervention whilst living with Rheumatoid Arthritis and its associated illnesses.

It seems right to tweak the name of the campaign for 2024, whilst challenges & campaigning will continue, ‘Sarah’s medical campaign’ is less ambiguous about what we need to achieve.

2024 thus far has been tough, but, the big picture is still to raise funds for medical aide, as this is still so vital to ensure Sarah is safe & covered when emergencies happen. 

And, raising enough to be able to purchase the mobility vehicle Sarah’s desperately needs. She is trapped in a body that is failing her. Her mobility is ever decreasing & fragility increasing. The mobility vehicle would not only give her freedom, but keep her safe.  

As ever, whilst we strive for the ultimate goals, the challenges Sarah continues to face make to road to the finish line difficult, & funds raised are often required to be diverted to immediate needs.

Nevertheless, we value every donation & continue to strive towards improving Sarah’s situation so please continue to journey with us whilst we continue to strive to reach the funds needed for Sarah's needs.

Your support is met with heartfelt thanks. xx

https://gofund.me/732368ee

2023 Campaign update

‘The opportunity to enable Sarah’s long-term independence, quality of life and medical intervention whilst living with Rheumatoid Arthritis and its associated illnesses.’

https://gofund.me/732368ee

https://www.facebook.com/landmarkjourney

Every donation big or small takes us towards reaching the target amount needed, and with every share, each time you engage, you help the campaign gain traction. With your help, we can achieve the funding goal so please donate and share the campaign and ask your network to share.

This funding campaign began its journey 16 months ago and whilst we celebrate what we have achieved due to your collective kindness, 2023 focuses on what we still need to achieve to enable Sarah to have quality of life and remove the stress of burgeoning medical costs.

We started the campaign with clear objectives to help Sarah reach a quality of life, the most pressing being the removal of a metal pin from her leg which was causing significant pain. Thanks to the kind donations we received and the amazing achievements of those who undertook challenges, Sarah had successful surgery and now lives without the pin poking at her flesh and nerves. She has also had urgent periodontic care on her top teeth and has been able to meet some of the costs for unforeseen medical appointments due to the volatile nature of her illness.

Sarah still lives with increasing pain as her condition deteriorates and is without the safety of medical insurance. Her already diminished mobility continues to decrease as her illness progresses. Moreover, most recently Sarah fell and fractured her pelvis. She is convalescing at home, but this is more excruciating pain and additional immobility. Whilst family members have been able to cover costs thus far, further scans and physio costs are proving difficult to meet.

Therefore, looking forward into 2023, we initially strive to urgently raise funds to cover the cost of the pending CT scan and physio treatment post the most recent pelvic fracture. Once this urgency has passed, we will focus on raising the funds to meet the cost of 3 vital needs:

Periodontist treatment on Sarah’s lower teeth. Whilst her top teeth were looked after last year, bottom teeth dental intervention is now critical.

Medical insurance, paying the 1st year upfront to enable Sarah to access the full insurance policy.

Mobility vehicle. Essential to keep Sarah as safe as possible from injuries and give her much-needed freedom.

For those who have been on the journey with us so far, you will know how difficult it is to foresee what medical interventions might come up in Sarah’s future and that whilst we focus on next targets the chance of Sarah needing funds for other medical interventions is high.

To be clear on funds we need to raise;

For further treatment for the pelvic fracture= £850. This will cover the cost of CT scan and physio sessions.

For medical aide = £3000. If we can pay the first year’s medical aide costs upfront, Sarah will have access to the full policy and when the time comes for further medical assistance, the insurers, for the most part, will cover it (with exemptions of course). Furthermore, most of the significant monthly expenditure that Sarah has for medication will be covered, meaning that this money, along with the support of family contributions can be used to pay the monthly insurance bill.

Periodontic treatment for lower teeth= £800. This cost will not be met by the insurers and will need to be funded independently.

Mobility vehicle. = £7000. When I mention Sarah’s lack of mobility, it is difficult to paint a clear picture of how incapacitated Sarah is. A mobility vehicle is essential for her to get about and is required so she can move about safely, removing any risk.

I know for most the sums of money needed are eye-wateringly high, especially when we have received so much generosity and kindness already, but we emphasise, many people donating what they can and sharing the campaign can make a huge difference in its success.

For those of you new to this campaign, to tell you more about Sarah herself beyond her chronic illness…Sarah’s life in South Africa is one where she follows her vocation of caring for cultural environmental work, as a traditional medicine person, counselling, healing, and mentoring people in the process of self-realisation. She has embraced and has been trained to work within traditional Zulu practices, having been taught by her Zulu elders and mentors. She has expanded this work to create a bridge for cross-cultural communication and awareness of the issues which connect us all.

Sarah and her partner Muvo are an integral part of their rural community. They are a valued source of help and advice locally, as well as helping people overseas. Sarah is a voluntary consultant for environmental bodies which value her traditional cultural knowledge and experience.

Sarah feels very passionately about protecting and preserving indigenous sacred sites and their environment, she works actively with communities to educate them, as well as confronting those who do not value the land or rights of indigenous communities. Most recently has been fiercely campaigning for the protection of the sacred site of Howick falls.

Please continue to journey with us whilst we take on the challenge of reaching the funds needed for Sarah's needs, your support is met with heartfelt thanks. xx