Surgery Update!
11 October 2020UDATE FROM JAYNE:
"I have some incredible news about my surgery!
One week ago, a newspaper ran an article about me about the specialised rib surgery I am needing to get done, which I believed was only possible by a surgeon in West Virginia who created a new procedure this year. Since he has only released his paper and webinar about the procedure, I therefore had no choice but to travel to the USA to receive the surgery.
The surgery and travel to the USA etc costs around $60,000, more than I could ever afford. Because of this I have done a lot of fundraising, organised a fundraising event, received many generous contributions from friends and family. However, it was still going to be extremely expensive to travel to get the surgery, not to mention scary with everything happening in America right now.
Then out of the blue, something incredible happened. I heard from a stranger - she told me she had read the article about me. She wanted to let me know she had just had the same surgery as I was about to get, but - it was done by a surgeon in a private hospital in Hamilton!
It turned out this New Zealand surgeon had watched the American surgeon’s webinar about the procedure, and it captured his interest. So he performed the surgery for the first time in NZ, just last week, and it was a success!
I couldn’t believe it. I contacted the surgeon with no idea what to expect, and he asked me to come and see him for a consultation as soon as I could, so I have just travelled to Hamilton. The surgeon told me that despite him only having performed the procedure once (and just last week), he would be willing and able to operate on me, in consultation with the US surgeon.
I was in shock - If this surgery goes well then I will no longer have to travel to the USA! It seems too good to be true!
The surgeon then explained that he would do the procedure in two separate surgeries; one on each side with a break to recover in between. This will require 2 separate private hospital stays and procedures, so it will still be a very expensive undertaking, and will end up costing me around $55-60,000 for both operations, travel and accommodation. If this surgery doesn’t go well and I still have to travel to the USA then it will cost me a lot more, but I feel like this is a risk I need to take. I would much rather have the operation here in NZ!
With all things considered, I made a decision. This week, on the day before I was due to leave to go to the USA - I’m going to have surgery in Hamilton!
I already have some of the money needed for the surgeries, but still have a lot to go to reach my goal to cover the costs involved for both operations. I want to express my huge gratitude for your generosity which is what is making it possible for me to have this essential surgery."