Support Karen to be by her daughters’ side

Imagine your vibrant, healthy and successful 19-year-old daughter heads off to New York on the trip of a lifetime…only to become critically ill on the other side of the world.

This has been the reality for our dear friend Karen and her beautiful daughter Paris.

Paris fell ill during her travels in New York and visited a doctor. Within hours she was rushed into ICU in critical condition before being diagnosed with severe pulmonary embolisms and pulmonary hypertension.

After weeks in hospital in New York, Paris was medically escorted home - and has since spent months in and out of multiple hospitals, fighting for her life with her condition worsening.

Paris has now been diagnosed with Group 1 Chronic Thrombosis Pulmonary Hypertension, Pulmonary Hypertension and Clots Group 4.

The family has been left with limited options for Paris to recover and have a chance at life. She is considered too high risk to undergo surgery to remove the clots, so experimental medication is now being trialled. If that fails, Paris will be facing a full lung transplant.

Paris needs her mum now more than ever – but as a self-employed single mum, Karen has been forced to continue working in her hair salon to pay the growing bills instead of being by her daughter’s side.

Karen is the most generous, kind and wonderful human you could hope to meet, always the first to jump in and help anyone, anytime. She would give you the shirt from her own back to help – and she lives and breathes for her three incredible daughters.

Over the years Karen has been there for family, friends and even strangers whenever they have needed her. Now is our chance to give back and support Karen to take some time off work so she can focus on her family, herself and her precious daughter.