Give Liv a Little
Olivia has an abnormal growth in her spinal cord (c4-c5) that has bled and caused damage, currently on a ventilator in a Tetraplegic state.
Nelson / Tasman
On June 14th Olivia noticed a sore shoulder and then some tingling in her legs. Upon calling an ambulance and arriving at Nelson Hospital she then could not move any of her limbs and was in excruciating pain. Liv and Mum, Ramari, were then choppered to ICU Christchurch Hospital by the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter on the 15th June.
After many tests and MRI’s, the doctors have confirmed an abnormal growth in her spinal cord (c4-c5) that has bled and caused damage, resulting in her being on a ventilator in a Tetraplegic state.
The bleeding of this growth in the spinal cord is so rare that there is not enough information globally for the Doctors to predict her outcome and unfortunately, do not know if she will regain much, if any, movement in the future.
Due to pain management and support required to keep Liv comfortable, she is in a sedated state and only awake for small periods of time. She can mouth words but has no sound due to having a tracheostomy. Any movement gives us hope and we can only cross our fingers for the best outcome.
The next step for Olivia is to be transferred to Burwood Spinal Unit in Christchurch to get the support and rehabilitation she needs for at least the next 6 months.
Unfortunately, situations like these are not covered by ACC. Access, equipment and family support will have to be self funded.
We are wanting to support the many costs involved for Olivias journey as they don’t stop with her. Ramari and partner Chris are still in Christchurch away from their Nelson home to be by her side. They still have to cover their normal costs aswell as now the extra living costs in Christchurch. Her dad Carey also travels often between Nelson and Christchurch so he can help support Liv during this time.
The future is unclear and everyday brings a new obstacle. Their goal is once she is released from Burwood to return home to Nelson and continue to be in care with family.
Supporting Liv's involvement (page creator)
Olivia is my niece. Ramari, her Mum is my sister.
Use of funds
- Family support (accommodation, food, parking, travel, rent, Livvy's current payments (her car/bills).
- Any medical costs that are not funded by the government.
- When Livvy returns home, access to the property, equipment throughout the home, wet bathroom and home alterations to accommodate Liv and family support.
Latest update
Latest on Liv 13 August 2021
Apologies for the delay in updating Liv's progress. We would like to start by saying how thankful we are for all the donations and support we have received from everyone. It is very much appreciated.
Liv has been in the Burwood Hospital spinal unit for nearly a month now. The initial focus of her rehab has been focused around her breathing and building her diaphragm muscles and lung capacity up. During her first week she started weaning completely off the ventilator for 10 minutes at a time, 3 times per day. She smashed this out with no problems. Her medical team decided since she was doing so well that on her second week they moved her up to 1 hour off the vent, 3 times per day and kept increasing it by an hour every 2 days.
On the second week they were able to deflate her cuff on her tracyostomy which allowed her to say her first words in nearly 5 weeks. Since then they have fitted a speaking valve so she is able to talk whilst she is off the ventilator. Liv has had a chance to look through the Give A Little page and she is blown away but the amount of people who have been so kind to donate and send their support. To say she was blown away is an understatement.
Today (Friday 13th August) Liv has reached her first major milestone. Liv is off the ventilator! She no longer requires any support for her breathing.
In regards to her paralysis this remains largely unchanged and she still remains in a tetraplegic state. She has been lying down in a bed for near on two months now. Her left arm has improved with more strength and now has a reasonable grip with this hand. She has been able to move her right arm onto her stomach. It requires a lot of energy and isn't always possible. She has been having a lot of pain with her right shoulder; The doctors believe this could be due to the muscles coming away from the joint or nerve pain, once Liv is up to it they will perform a scan to find out what is going on. She has been able to move her left leg towards her right and lift it up slightly as well as wriggle her toes, she can't feel this but can move it slightly. Her right leg is largely unchanged, she is unable to move it, there is only a small area on her calf where she has some feeling of sensation.
The next stage for Liv is to get her sitting up and hopefully into a wheel chair. Since she has been lying down for so long she immediately feels sick when she sits up past 20 degrees. She has also lost a substantial amount of muscle condition. This means that most movements are very hard to do without support and are very tiring for her. These are going to be the next biggest hurdles for her to overcome.
We would just like to say again how thankful we are to everyone who has donated and the support they have given. We are so proud of everything Liv has achieved and everything she is going to achieve. With her determination and attitude anything is possible for her.
Chris & Ramari
Latest donations
Who's involved?
Page Q&A
One question has been asked already. Check it out and ask yours here.Any concerns?
Report this pageThank the donor
Your message will be displayed on the page and emailed to the donor.
Your new message will also be emailed to the donor.
Saving a blank entry will delete the current comment.