PLEASE HELP MY SISTER LIVE THE LIFE SHE DESERVES ??

This page is our only hope to be able to find a way to fund a most needed surgery to give Angie a longer life than what is ahead of her. Even though she isn’t lying in a hospital bed she is literally fighting for her life. A life that she deserves to have.

This is Angie’s story.

Angie is 55 years old and morbidly obese and currently sits at 149 kilos. She is a mother to three adult children and a grandmother to three, and a loving Stepmother / Grandmother to many more!

One might think , oh yes just another chunky chick, but I ask you to take some time to read her story to help you understand the complexities of this disease and just how a human being can get to such a sad place.

When Angie was only six years old she suffered unspeakable childhood trauma for a very long period .As a direct result of this trauma, Angie developed asthma and it is still with her to this day.

In spite of having to raise her three children alone Angie has tried her hardest to have a normal life. Sadly it has been marred by this vicious cycle of asthma, obesity and medications. She has tried Weight Watchers, Diet reduction drugs, Hypnosis, and countless hours of counselling.

She cannot function in the mornings until she has taken her life saving medication just to get breathing.

She suffers from severe bone density reduction as a result of having to take high levels of steroids most of her life. Angie shuffles around with cracked bones in her feet, of which cannot be operated on due to her size. She is no longer able to work due to obesity complications of incontinence and anxiety. She would give anything to be able to work again some day.

Long term steroids have a list of medical side effects, one which makes them more susceptible to life-threatening staph blood infections. Angie has had four bouts of cellulitis, as her immune system is very low. Every winter she is plagued with chest infections which invariably turn into pneumonia. This mean yet more higher doses of steroids, of which increases her appetite significantly.

Now her only option is to have this surgery. She has been turned down by the DHB on two occasions under the public health system as she doesn’t fit into the criteria of critical! She needs to have Diabetes to be considered . Whilst she only tests positive for pre-diabetes at the moment she does not reach the threshold for surgical intervention.

Telling people to simply ‘eat less, move more’ tools weight is a gross oversimplification. Obesity is a multi factor condition in which a variety of adverse childhood experiences, may trigger weight gain, but make it more challenging to lose.

AILMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH HER OBESITY :

Morbid Obesity, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder, Asthma, Anxiety & Depression, Bowel & Bladder Incontinence, Abdominal Pain / Hernia, Osteoporosis, Hypertension / Pre-Diabetes, Hairline Fractures in Feet, Skin Infections / Cellulitis & Psychosocial Beliefs.