Help raise funds for Joella and her whanau

Joella is 48 years young, a mother to 4, her youngest being only 7. She is also a grandma to her 1 year old moko. We all want her around for as long as possible.

THIS IS HER STORY

"Over the Christmas break in 2020-2021 I found it uncomfortable in my mouth when I ate certain food and upon returning to work in Jan 2021 realised I needed to see a dentist as my back tooth had broken and was cutting my tongue when I ate.”

"The dentist didn’t seem alarmed, he told me it was a tooth infection and gave me antibiotics. I returned to him once I’d completed the antibiotics, still in immense pain. He prescribed me pain relief but I pleaded for him to remove the tooth. He finally done so, saying now everything will heal. It didn’t seem to heal and between Feb-March I found myself seeing my GP 4x due to the pain. I couldn’t attend work and was needing to take sick leave."

"Finally I approached another dentist for a second opinion. At this appointment she photographed my mouth which was severely ulcerated with lesions on the prosterial lateral side and sent them to the maxiofacial specialist at the hospital. At the first appointment they biopsiesd my tongue lesion and a week later on March 31st 2021 is when my whole world changed - they informed me it had tested positive for cancer.”

"A week later I was given urgent admittance to the emergency department of the HB hospital where I have been for the past three weeks on a feeding tube as I found myself trembly unwell, not being able to eat or drink much since late Jan 2021."

“I underwent numerous tests and scans before meeting with the Head and neck specialsts in Auckland. There they informed me of the morbid outcome and treatment they will undertake.”

“I was told it’s advanced and aggressive. It has spread from my tongue into my lymph nodes and extends down into my throat. They will need to surgically remove my tongue, part of my throat and voice box. They will rebuild my tongue using my thigh but this will mostly be for cosmetic use. It will be non functional. They will use my arm skin to replace part of the throat. I will have a hole in my windpipe and will learn how to speak using some device that vibrates when I move it across the hole in my windpipe. I will be transferred to Auckland Hospital where I will undergo surgery early May 2021."

"I do not know what the future holds for me and my young whanau, I cry and worry for my kids everyday but am determined to fight for survival.”

Surgery is just the beginning of Joella’s journey. Once she is well enough she will go through chemo, radiation and eventually speech therapy. She will never be able to talk or eat “normally” again. Joella will need to have a PEG inserted into her stomach which allows nutrition, fluids and/or medications to be put directly into the stomach, bypassing the mouth and esophagus.