We Can Be Heroes - Make a Life-changing Difference
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Kathleen's Story.
I first got to know Kathleen 10 years ago when I worked with her at a company on the Quayside in Newcastle.
As I got to know her and we chatted during the course of our work together, I discovered that she was a Carer for her lovely Mother who had Dementia. Although my time as a Carer for my parents was still in my future then, I have learned since although like Kathleen I have no regrets in deciding to care, that the physical and mental challenges really take their toll and during my time as a Carer I was hospitalised twice with Cellulitis and Sepsis was a very real and present danger.
During this global pandemic the swift and devastating consequences of the body going into overdrive to fight infection as occurs with Sepsis has been brought into very sharp focus.
As well as holding down a job, Kathleen quietly and steadfastly, without fanfare, cared for her Mother for many years as she dealt with the everyday challenges of Dementia.
Kathleen began to feel quite ill on the 15th February 2018 and quickly deteriorated to the point where she collapsed on the 27th.
She was rushed to hospital with multiple organ failure, infected with several major infections including Double Pneumonia, Endocarditis, Influenza B, AND Sepsis. She was put into a Coma to save her life. Although thankfully still alive a month later, on coming out of the Coma she had the shock of seeing that her limbs had not survived and were turning black due to necrosis and the only option to save her life was to amputate all of her limbs.
After having supported and cared for her Mother along with the rest of the family, facing the challenges of Vascular Dementia which I and my own family are only too familiar with, and to have to have been devoted to that care for over 10 years to then have to completely re-imagine the future she thought she had and to endure all that she has is just so very hard to wrap your head around.
Kathleen is quietly determined to do what she can to come back from this horrific trauma. Her Mother who she looked after so devotedly has since died and instead of looking to a future where she can start her life again after caring with all the opportunities that it presents as is now the case with me after 8 years of Caring following the passing of my lovely Dad, she has had that opportunity cruelly torn away from her in the most unfair way.
There is hope however thanks to the amazing work of Open Bionics.
Even modern prosthetics are very limited in what they can achieve and the more sophisticated they become the more expensive they are. Open Bionics have been doing amazing work for a number of years now and recently Kathleen got the fantastic news that she is medically a candidate for Hero Arms. Whilst these aren't the eye watering sums out of the reach of most there is still a cost and given she can no longer work and like many of us doesn't have a spare £30,000 kicking around so this is where we collectively come in.
We have all seen the amazing things we can do as a Human community to help others less fortunate than ourselves and we have the chance now to be a part of another incredible human story and give it the joyous end it deserves.
I worked out that all it needs is 600 people to give £50 and we will hit our target. Just 600. Just fifty quid. Have a look at the Infographic below and think about what fifty quid means to you and what it could mean for Kathleen.
It's her Birthday today as I write this and launch the campaign, let's make this day the start of a good news story for someone who so richly deserves it. If we can hit our target by the end of the Summer with treatment, support and her amazing Hero arms she might raise a glass to all of us at Christmas. You can't put a price on that...well maybe you can, just 600 people, just £50.
Please note: In order to keep GoFundMe a safe place to donate by making sure that your generous donations go where you understand that they are going and for what purpose, GoFundMe have asked that Kathleen's story includes the following information:
The name of the person added as the beneficiary. The name of the person added as beneficiary is Michael Maher, Kathleen's Brother and her Power of Attorney for Financial Matters.
Their connection to the campaign and how they intend to spend the donations and/or deliver them to the intended recipient: As stated in the previous statement, Michael Maher is Kathleen's Brother and Power of Attorney and intends to spend the donation on obtaining Hero Arms from Open Bionics for Kathleen.
I first got to know Kathleen 10 years ago when I worked with her at a company on the Quayside in Newcastle.
As I got to know her and we chatted during the course of our work together, I discovered that she was a Carer for her lovely Mother who had Dementia. Although my time as a Carer for my parents was still in my future then, I have learned since although like Kathleen I have no regrets in deciding to care, that the physical and mental challenges really take their toll and during my time as a Carer I was hospitalised twice with Cellulitis and Sepsis was a very real and present danger.
During this global pandemic the swift and devastating consequences of the body going into overdrive to fight infection as occurs with Sepsis has been brought into very sharp focus.
As well as holding down a job, Kathleen quietly and steadfastly, without fanfare, cared for her Mother for many years as she dealt with the everyday challenges of Dementia.
Kathleen began to feel quite ill on the 15th February 2018 and quickly deteriorated to the point where she collapsed on the 27th.
She was rushed to hospital with multiple organ failure, infected with several major infections including Double Pneumonia, Endocarditis, Influenza B, AND Sepsis. She was put into a Coma to save her life. Although thankfully still alive a month later, on coming out of the Coma she had the shock of seeing that her limbs had not survived and were turning black due to necrosis and the only option to save her life was to amputate all of her limbs.
After having supported and cared for her Mother along with the rest of the family, facing the challenges of Vascular Dementia which I and my own family are only too familiar with, and to have to have been devoted to that care for over 10 years to then have to completely re-imagine the future she thought she had and to endure all that she has is just so very hard to wrap your head around.
Kathleen is quietly determined to do what she can to come back from this horrific trauma. Her Mother who she looked after so devotedly has since died and instead of looking to a future where she can start her life again after caring with all the opportunities that it presents as is now the case with me after 8 years of Caring following the passing of my lovely Dad, she has had that opportunity cruelly torn away from her in the most unfair way.
There is hope however thanks to the amazing work of Open Bionics.
Even modern prosthetics are very limited in what they can achieve and the more sophisticated they become the more expensive they are. Open Bionics have been doing amazing work for a number of years now and recently Kathleen got the fantastic news that she is medically a candidate for Hero Arms. Whilst these aren't the eye watering sums out of the reach of most there is still a cost and given she can no longer work and like many of us doesn't have a spare £30,000 kicking around so this is where we collectively come in.
We have all seen the amazing things we can do as a Human community to help others less fortunate than ourselves and we have the chance now to be a part of another incredible human story and give it the joyous end it deserves.
I worked out that all it needs is 600 people to give £50 and we will hit our target. Just 600. Just fifty quid. Have a look at the Infographic below and think about what fifty quid means to you and what it could mean for Kathleen.
It's her Birthday today as I write this and launch the campaign, let's make this day the start of a good news story for someone who so richly deserves it. If we can hit our target by the end of the Summer with treatment, support and her amazing Hero arms she might raise a glass to all of us at Christmas. You can't put a price on that...well maybe you can, just 600 people, just £50.
Please note: In order to keep GoFundMe a safe place to donate by making sure that your generous donations go where you understand that they are going and for what purpose, GoFundMe have asked that Kathleen's story includes the following information:
The name of the person added as the beneficiary. The name of the person added as beneficiary is Michael Maher, Kathleen's Brother and her Power of Attorney for Financial Matters.
Their connection to the campaign and how they intend to spend the donations and/or deliver them to the intended recipient: As stated in the previous statement, Michael Maher is Kathleen's Brother and Power of Attorney and intends to spend the donation on obtaining Hero Arms from Open Bionics for Kathleen.
Organizer and beneficiary
Kate Watson
Organizer
England
Michael Maher
Beneficiary
