Main fundraiser photo

Healing Narelle


*** December 2019 - Update *** 

For those that aren’t aware, Narelle has had a rather unfortunate 12 (going on 13) weeks in hospital. If her Cancer wasn’t already enough, Narelle contracted a nasty bacterial infection which resulted in Sepsis (a blood inflection), which then resulted in Echocarditis (a dangerous infection of the heart). The bacteria ate through a heart valve and so it became an urgent situation to treat, as that alone could have been life threatening. 
 
Almost 13 weeks later, she’s still in hospital and sadly her overall condition has declined during this time. A combination of the infection itself, heavy antibiotics, heavy pain medication and hospitization hasn’t helped her Cancer, and we are now faced with a terminal diagnosis, unless we can somehow turn this around. 
 
We were filled with so much hope prior to her admission into hospital and it’s hard to believe that only 13 weeks ago, we were planning the future and continuing her treatment which we had brought back with us from Mexico. We had plans, and this certainly wasn’t a part of them. 
 
Any funds raised will go directly towards her current ongoing medical bills, as well as any future Cancer treatment, which we desperately hope we will have the opportunity to get. 
 
Narelle and I have been so grateful for all the support and love we have received so far. And we can’t thank you enough. 

We remain positive and are praying for a miracle. 
 
Love and best wishes from us both as always. 

Narelle & Danielle xxx

***


Anyone who has had the fortune of meeting and knowing our dear friend Narelle, would know that she is one of the most beautiful souls on this planet. She is a caring, loyal and witty friend, a devoted mother to her son, aunty to her nieces and nephews and a loving partner to Danielle. Narelle, a once upon a time rock singer, would love the opportunity to sing again professionally and also devote time to helping people and animals in need. 

Our girl has a huge heart and NOW OUR BEAUTIFUL FRIEND NEEDS OUR HELP!!

Sadly Narelle has had a long term battle with chronic illness, having first been diagnosed with Lyme Disease in 2012 and then most recently, diagnosed with Cervical Cancer in 2016. Not long ago she found out that her cancer has spread to her lymph nodes and nearby tissue. 

A brief history...

For those of you who don’t know Narelle, she is a Perth girl and next week, she will celebrate her 43rd birthday. Narelle spent a good portion of her adult life singing in cover bands across Perth (she is fondly remembered around town for her big lead vocals and handling the likes of Guns N Roses, Led Zeppelin and Pink - she has probably entertained many of you until the wee hours of the morning ;-) ). After suddenly breaking her back in 2006, Narelle was forced to quit singing - the only job she had ever known and loved. After 6 months of rehab, Narelle was finally able to stand and work again, and took a job as a barista at Soto cafe, Mount Lawley (the now, Mary Street Bakery) - she has also probably served many of you with one of the best coffees you’ve ever had! ;-)

It was during her time at Soto that the Lyme Disease symptoms started to really flare up and it became apparent something wasn’t right. Having travelled to the United States after her spinal rehab, she had evidently contracted the debilitating disease most likely by a tick bite. Unfortunately doctors in Australia don’t know a huge amount about Lyme Disease, and so her illness went undiagnosed for years whilst her symptoms progressively got worse. She went from doctor to doctor to no avail, until she finally came across a doctor that was educated on Lyme Disease and assisted her with getting sophisticated testing for the illness. Whilst she was relieved to finally have an explanation as to why she’d been feeling so unwell, Narelle was now physically and mentally, a shadow of her former self - a once confident, healthy, independent and vibrant person. In an attempt to combat the Lyme Disease head on (Lyme is one of the most resistant infections to treatment), she tried all kinds of strong antibiotics and alternative treatments, with limited success. Never one to give up, Narelle kept going and always looked at the bright side - her cup was always half full.

Narelle and Danielle pushed on and bought a cafe, to provide Narelle with a stable environment to work in. At least she could be her own boss and take time off when needed... well that was the idea. Narelle operated the cafe for a number of years, however her health wasn’t getting any better despite her ongoing efforts. They therefore decided to sell the business, so that Narelle could focus solely on her health. Believe it or not, her bad luck didn’t stop there.

During 2016, Narelle had started to experience some unusual symptoms, unlike those she had experienced before. Primarily, she started to lose a lot of blood and had significant pelvic pain. Once again, Narelle went to a doctor who unfortunately misdiagnosed her with early onset menopause. Intuitively, they knew there was something more going on, so they kept searching for answers. 6 months later, after several tests and upon returning from a volunteering trip to rural Indonesia, Narelle was finally told she had Cancer and had a cervical tumour which had already started to spread. Needless to say, it was a pretty shocking time and, having lost her father to cancer a few years prior, it was also a blow to her family and son.

When Narelle and Danielle heard the words "you have cancer", their world stood still... we don't think anything prepares you for that. After the initial shock wore off, they got busy and proactive.  This was NOT going to beat Narelle and they were going to find every option available and above all, remain positive and be grateful for every single day that followed. 

So, in summary, Narelle’s had a bit of bad luck… and its time for it to change!

Everyone deserves a break! And Narelle couldn’t be any more deserving!

Throughout the last two years, Narelle has been in and out of hospital rooms, emergency and treatment rooms. She experiences debilitating symptoms which render her unable to work (let alone walk), and as such, she has not been able to work full time for a couple of years, and at times, hasn’t been able to work at all for months on end. 

The local doctors in Perth have ruled out surgery to remove Narelle’s tumour (a radical hysterectomy). Narelle has undergone some radiation to keep the tumour in check, however unfortunately (and possibly due to her small frame), she suffered severe side effects from the radiation. Her compromised immune system from Lyme Disease also further complicates traditional treatment options. 

A testament to Narelle’s will and desire to survive, she has done everything within her power to help put her in the best place to heal and fight the cancer. She’s been unwavering in her efforts to look after her body and nurture it during this time.  

On a medical front, she has sought alternative treatments locally, but unfortunately they’re super expensive on an on-going basis (and some of these treatments are required daily) and there are limitations as to what’s available here. 

After a years worth of costly treatment (not covered by private or public health care) and Narelle barely working, we wanted to do our bit to try to alleviate some financial pressure from Narelle and raise enough funds to get better treatment and give her the best chance of survival. As we can only imagine, its been an incredibly stressful time for her and her partner, as Danielle has been handling all of this on her own, whilst keeping all the balls up in the air with her business. It’s no mean feat! 

BUT THERE IS HOPE! 

Fortunately, Narelle has been in contact with some incredible treatment centres overseas, which have offered real hope and progressive treatments which could give Narelle the chance she’s looking for, but they come at a price tag.

If Narelle is able to secure enough funding, then she will be able to go to a dedicated treatment centre ASAP for the required amount of time and dedicate herself solely to getting well again and kicking this cancer in the butt!

So we want to help ease the strain and do what we can to help contribute! 

And time is of the essence. 

ANY AMOUNT will help our beautiful friend have the best possible chance of survival. Narelle, her family and her friends would be so grateful for any support you can provide. 

Thanking you from the bottom of our hearts. 

We love you Narelle!!! 

Team Narelle xxx



Donations 

  • Anonymous
    • $100 
    • 4 yrs

Organizer

Team Narelle
Organizer
Perth WA

Your easy, powerful, and trusted home for help

  • Easy

    Donate quickly and easily.

  • Powerful

    Send help right to the people and causes you care about.

  • Trusted

    Your donation is protected by the  GoFundMe Giving Guarantee.