Help our Mum and Nanny move her hands and feet!

Before the accident Mum lived fully self sufficiently on her own, in her little unit. She has been on her own since last marriage failed while she took care of her elderly mother in the UK 13 years ago. Mum helped my sister and I with our kids and would look after the youngest grandchild, (2 years) two or three times a week. Mum also worked voluntarily in a charity shop twice a week. Always giving back. You always knew when Mum had been to see you as she always had a bag of things - she lived on a pension so didn't have much money - but she'd look out for little second hand items that would help to make your life easier. She'd bring me pegs for my washing, second hand placemats when she saw mine getting tatty, treats for the kids that were nearing their expiry date. She was always thinking of us. Before the accident Mum was the lady who never forgot your birthday. She still sent cards and would make sure they got there in time. Every time. Mum has always been proud of her appearance and was a young and vibrant 66 year old. Mum is known for her love of handbags and shoes - though she would never spend more than $20 on a single item. Mum is the best bargain hunter you'll meet.

7 weeks ago our darling Mum (to two daughters), Nanny (to 5 grandkids) and friend (to many beautiful souls) slipped down two steps and broke her C1 and C2 bones in her neck. This is the most serious spinal injury anyone can sustain. The first few days were a blur. As the break is so high, they couldn't fuse the bones together, so she was put into halo traction. For those of you who don't know what this is: it's pins screwed into your skull and weights attached to the back of your head. This is to hold your bones in a place so they can heal. It looks barbaric - and that's cause in many ways it is. But this is the only treatment available to Mum.

We were told in the days after Mum's fall that most people who sustain this injury die at the scene. We were then told that her chances of survival in the weeks following wasn't good - as the spinal cord swelled, it was likely this would mean her brain would stop telling her diaphragm to breathe. She would quite literally, be unable to keep the message going to stay alive. We were told to get her affairs in order and prepare for the worst. Those weeks were long and scary and there were so many times we feared that she wouldn't make it. But she did.

For 7 weeks our beautiful Mum has been in full halo traction. She can't drink anything, she can't eat anything. Her hands have fused up, and her feet have dropped - they are rigid with spasticicity. Her muscles spasm. Her nose has had sores from the feeding tube. She has constant nausea and has vomited (can you imagine doing this laid on your back? Think suction, think tubes, think panic - think scary). She has to be turned every two hours to make sure she doesn't get pressure sores. This means she can't sleep for very long. Every time they turn her, it hurts and she gets dizzy and feels sick. They can't give her too many pain meds as this will interfere with her breathing. Every drug she is on interacts with another: she takes drugs that make her constipated, so she has laxatives which cause ongoing diarrhea...which causes rashes and soreness and means lying in her soiled sheets until they come to turn her....you get the picture. Mum has not looked out a window for nearly two months. Mum has not tasted anything other than mouthwash or water on her tongue for over 7 weeks. The pins in her head need to be tightened and this hurts. She has developed scabs on her tongue which no matter how much I try to brush off, do not go away. We have to make sure we keep her nails short as they will cut into her palms with her hands fused shut. Mum's hair has not been washed in two months. It sounds silly to think about these little things, but Mum was the most well presented person you'd meet before this happened.

One day I visited Mum and a fly was in her room. She has a weak voice so she can't yell out to the nurses. She can't operate the buzzer. This fly had landed on her face on and off for the last hour or so. Can you imagine what that would be like? I can't handle a fly in my room when I have the ability to swat it away, or squirt it with some spray - how the heck does she endure this, all the while feeling sore and sick and unable to exercise any control over any part of her life?

My Mum does this with stoicism and strength. I have not seen her cry once. She rarely complains and she has no resentment or anger about why this happened to her (though God help me, I do). She is truly the most amazing person and seeing her go through this is as amazing as it is horrendous. We are in awe of her.

Why do we want to fundraise for her? What will we do with the money? Well, we want to help with private rehabilitation for our Mum to get better. Once the bone has healed enough (this could be a further 6 weeks in traction) she will be assessed as to whether she goes to the spinal unit, or a private hospital. The team have been open that it will likely be the latter. Private hospital means she withers in a bed for the rest of her life. She is only 67 (yes, she has had a birthday in hospital).

Private hospital is asset tested - which means we will need to sell Mum's unit to fund her care. Mum has worked often three jobs at a time to save enough money to buy her small little place, in a run down part of town.

Mum has no brothers and sisters. Both her parents are dead. Mum has my sister ( a solo Mum of three kids), and myself. And her friends of course. And you. People who can give a little to make a huge change.

We want our Mum and Nanny back. We want to give her every chance to fight this thing and to at least get motor skills to operate a wheelchair. To change the channel on the remote. To operate a panic button if she needed to. To hold her grandkids hands again. Maybe put on some lippy. Sling a handbag over her shoulder. Small things.

I believe in the power of positive energy. I believe that thoughts are things and you manifest what you believe. So even if you can't give any of your money, please give us some of your thoughts. We want our Mum to once again defy the odds and make it out of that hospital if not walking, then at least upright.

Help us help Mum to get better. One nerve at a time.

Thank you.