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Help support Penny through her toughest battle yet

  • TPN update

      19 May 2026

    Penny had her procedure to have her picc line inserted. As of tonight they have started the first lot of TPN that will run through until 6am. It carries risk but they will be monitoring her very closely. The goal is to give her body back enough to help the wound and infection heal and then consider alternative surgeries or continue this treatment to buy time for a bit longer but risk grows higher the longer she is on it. She is feeling very very weak and awful today but continues to take each thing being asked of her in her stride the best she can. Her stomach wound has been bleeding through the night due to stomach acid leaking into it so they are keeping an eye on that. They will watch her very very closely over the next 24 hrs to see how her organs and body reacts to the treatment and any signs it’s not coping. She is at risk of dislodging the picc lines placement with vomitting so that could be a challenge we have to deal with but hoping not. It will be a hard few days and although they are scared they are all trying their best and just taking it a day at a time.

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  • Quick update before tomorrows procedure

      17 May 2026

    Penny has had a really rough night and most of the day with severe vomiting and pain, and still sleeping mostly. They have her on continuous fluids to support her and trying to correct a few things that are coming back low on the bloods. She is fighting hard and just been preparing herself for the procedure tomorrow to have lines inserted and the beginning of tpn. They have a few big conversations with the doctors tomorrow so will understand more tomorrow. For now she just keeps on trying her best and they are just trying to support each other through a scary time. She did get to spend a bit of quality time with Keira today which made her very happy. Love to you all x

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  • Upcoming procedure on Monday

      16 May 2026

    Yesterday Penny had her external and internal device removed in the afternoon after an xray confirmed it had failed. It was decided it’s no longer a possible treatment option. It was removed successfully but they left the infected and broken wound open so they don't trap the infection in her abdomen. She is so malnourished and weak, her body doesn't have the ability to heal the wound or fight these things. That has lead to TPN now being the only option to try and get some nutritional support to her and buy time. This will involve putting catheter lines through the arteries to the heart and treatment being delivered that way. It comes with very high risks and more so due to her current state. It will mean a very long stay in hospital and a continued big battle for Penny. The hope is to improve her condition so she’s more stable for future surgeries. It involves a lot that is hard to share all of, to paint the full picture, so we are just trying to explain what we can. We were all upset at this news and in the time after as we try to process it. It’s terrifying and a lot to comprehend, but with no other choice. They are trying to keep her comfortable and supported until Monday. The hope is she will then go to the cath lab to have lines inserted to the heart and then treatments begin within the following days. It will be a rough and risky time. She is doing her best as we all are but we are a little sad just for the moment and thats ok. Love to you all x

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  • A difficult time

      15 May 2026

    Penny has had a bad night and the whole system has failed over night and her wound has become a bigger angrier problem. The viability of this is now not an option :( They have had tough news and just need a little time to deal with it so there isn't a full update tonight. But they wanted to let you all know she has had the whole thing removed but just through sedation not general this time. They will fill us all in on everything else when able. Love and strength is needed right now. Penny is trying her best but she is understandably upset right now x

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  • Post surgery and infection update

      14 May 2026

    Penny has been very exhausted from the last 24 hrs with a lot of vomiting. They have started her on multiple fluid replacements to try and keep her fluids balanced and she has been sleeping a lot as she tries to get through all thats been thrown at her body. It is still a bit of a sit and wait each 24hrs with breath held to see how things go next. Alternative options if this fails have been discussed more but at the moment just waiting to see her hopefully turn a corner. On one positive note her inflammatory markers have come down under 100 from her infection so she could potentially and hopefully be starting to make an improvement there, so watch this space. General surgeons are yet to make a decision about whether she requires further surgery to deal with the open wound and damaged tissue from the infection but she is hoping to avoid any further surgeries if she can. She sends all her love to you all and hopes she is doing you proud. She is becoming a fought over patient on the ward so they are showing her a lot of love and care too which is making this slightly nicer for her than it could have been, with being separated from loved ones which is hard at times. We will keep on pushing through x

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  • 3rd surgery completed

      13 May 2026

    Yesterday Penny went in for her 3rd surgery. It took them a bit of time and effort but they got everything done and put the internal part of the tubing further down in the hopes it won't get disrupted again by the vomiting. As expected today was spent mostly in pain and wiped out. Penny's small bowel is pushing things the wrong direction when she vomits so that has added to the complexity of getting it to work and stay in place. She's still battling the infection and just overall very weak. The general surgeons are yet to decide if they need to take her back to theatre to sort out the open wound and infection or not but another scan was done today to monitor it. Got the pain meds back up and extra fluids being given to help with the low blood pressure she was experiencing today. Now we just wait to see what each 24hrs brings. There's been discussions about what next if this fails again or if the infection continues, having to start again from a new incision site and the potential for TPN being needed and the options inbetween. It's a lot to comprehend at times. For now we are just taking each day as it comes and trying to get through. It's been tough on them all but they are all trying their best and have our fingers crossed that it's our time to catch a break. The fight continues but so does the love and appreciation. Penny, Hannah and Keira thank everyone so much for all the support. They could not do this without you all xx

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  • Changes to procedure

      11 May 2026

    Today has been a tough one for all, especially Penny. With all the complications from last night and infection, they have decided to take her to theatre tomorrow morning and replace the whole thing. they will add an extension on at the same time and try to save her from multiple general anesthesia. In saying that they had the surgeons come and look at her wound and they are sending her for a CT to see what's happening under the skin and around the organs with the infection. They will decide if they need to also go in and clean everything or drain any areas while she is under. Because she has been without adequate nutrition through all these complications they discussed looking at starting her on iv nutrition called TPN. This requires putting lines into the heart and providing the necessary support that way as she is essentially fading away in her current state of limbo from complications. This comes with many high risks that Penny would likely not overcome so she is understandably terrified and the whole day has been a lot to process. they have managed to get the lodged piece out of her throat at least to make her a bit more comfortable. She's giving everything her best, it's just a lot to process for now when she is already battling so much.

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  • Off to theatre tomorrow

      10 May 2026

    Two updates from today with the most recent first:

    Penny has had an emergency call tonight after lots of vomiting. A piece of the internal device has dislodged again and they have confirmed with xray that it's stuck in her throat. They are getting in touch with the gastro surgeons to decide what to do to protect her airways and stop it slipping down into the lungs. It means all use of it stops and no swallowing in the meantime. They have multiple drugs on board to try stop further vomiting to protect it from moving but it does create pain and tension on her insides. They have said potentially theatre or something tomorrow morning and will keep a close eye on her tonight.

    Saturday evening Penny's wound became worse and she started showing vitals and outward signs the infection may be worsening so they kept a close eye on her overnight. A bit of a lump has formed just down from the wound which suggest the infection is tracking down under the tissue. They will have a close look tomorrow and hopefully the procedure will go ahead as planned. She is asleep a lot at the moment as her body tries to deal with all it has been through. They are doing their best to support her. Unfortunately she is still in a lot of pain with the wound still degrading and has gotten very deep on top of the two surgeries to the area. We made sure she got to celebrate Mother's Day today the best we could in this situation and that made her very happy. She sends her love and appreciation to you all.

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  • Delay to latest procedure

      9 May 2026

    Penny's procedure didn't go ahead yesterday. The case before her took too long to fit her in so she now has to wait until Monday. The silver lining is that there’s more days for the antibiotics to work away. No one is happy about it though including her doctors, as it’s a delay she can't really afford, but they are doing everything they can to give her body extra support through the weekend. Her wound has opened up and deteriorated more but on a positive note seems to be producing less ooze. Unfortunately though a lump has begun forming to the side which may indicate the infection is tracking elsewhere underneath the tissue. They have surgical reviewing the wound and infection now to get extra input in trying to manage it and track the progression. It is going to create some complications with securing the parts of the internal device that comes out externally through her abdomen but they are trying to come up with a "best case" solution. She has had quite an increase in vomiting etc but it’s just because her body is battling so hard from the multi surgeries, and infections. She is very weak and rough and we are very much stuck in a take each 24hrs at a time mode but she is trying so very hard. Although shes not awake as much at the moment she still has her beautiful smile and perseverance and is holding onto all the love and support as she battles through.

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  • A rocky day

      7 May 2026

    Unfortunately Penny had a bad night last night of severe vomiting and other things which indicate that she may have picked up something else. So they have sent more samples away for testing. She has been very weakened and washed out today as a result. They are running extra fluids to provide extra support and to replace what she is losing. Because of her dire need for nutrition to support her body they rediscussed doing the procedure urgently for today but that ended up being cancelled and rescheduled for tomorrow. There are additional risks of bleeding and spreading the infection internally through the procedure but it now outweighs leaving her as she is without some form of nutrition. The infection of the wound has continued to spread and has broken down and opened up more so they have been running inflammatory markers to test and see if the infection is still growing and if further antibiotics will be needed. She has been very tired today with everything going on and has not been awake very much.

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  • Infection and next procedure

      7 May 2026

    Swap results came back yesterday and have confirmed Penny has a staphylococcus aureus bacterial infection of her wound which isn't good. They were hoping to get the procedure to fix the internal device done yesterday but they ended up having a big meeting to weigh up the risks of spreading that infection if they go back in vs trying to fix a route to get some nutrition in here. They have decided now to schedule the procedure for Friday to try allow the antibiotics extra time to work and give them time to check her inflammatory markers etc. It’s a bit of a rock and a hard place at the moment. The wound has continued to break down more and the infection is still making her feel very ill. Her body is dealing with a lot right now but she is continuing to do her absolute best and sends her love to everyone and thanks everyone for all their support.

    If you would like to help support them further during this difficult time please help share this Givealittle page around. It would mean the absolute world.

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  • Update on infection

      5 May 2026

    The infection is in full swing and taking its toll on Penny and her symptoms. Penny is unfortunately feeling very rotten and still in a lot of pain but is trying her very best. Fevers are spiking up and down and she’s had a few doses of iv antibiotics run now. The skin and wound has begun breaking down and is looking worse than yesterday which isn't good. They are still waiting for the swab results to add or taylor antibiotics where needed so hopefully will know more tomorrow. Looks like she will be going in for the procedure to fix the internally misplaced part of the device tomorrow although that may change depending on the infection. We are very much in a take each 24 hours at a time mode and hoping for the antibiotics to start working. Penny’s still trying her absolute best and hasn't lost her smile despite it all but it’s a rough road right now.

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  • Rough start to the week

      5 May 2026

    Overnight on Sunday Penny developed an infection in her wound in a matter of hours. It developed more throughout the day Monday and was accounting for the immense pain she was experiencing. They started her on antibiotics to get onto it fast while they wait for swab results to confirm the type of infection and any other antibiotics she may need. She had scans yesterday too to see if the infection is also sitting under her skin in her abdomen but were still awaiting those results. They also found out part of the internal device has also flipped so she will need to go through yet another procedure to fix that. She is running a fever and is very uncomfortable, but they are doing their best to help keep her comfortable and reacting fast to give her the best chances. It was another hard day for them all but Penny is trying her very best.

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    • 05/05/2026 by Stu & Sue

      Thanks for your updates on Penny’s recovery. Please pass onto her that we have her in our most upper thoughts here in Australia and feel that her strength and smile is amazing.

      We are both sending all our most positive energy to her from Sydney.

      Sue and Stu xx

    • 05/05/2026 by Amy Fowler

      Thanks Sue and Stu. I have passed on your lovely words of encouragement and support xx

  • A second surgery

      3 May 2026

    Friday evening Penny went backwards overnight. Penny had a piece of the internal part of the device dislodge in her throat whilst being sick through the night and it became stuck in her throat. They ran tests through the night and tried to keep her comfortable and stop her swallowing so that it doesn't go down into airway. Then during the day yesterday they decided a second surgery was going to be needed to fix it. As you can imagine Penny and her family were terrified as to whether her body could handle another surgery but I am happy to report she made it through okay. It has taken a massive toll on her body though and they’ve upped the pain relief again to try keep her comfortable. It is worrying this happened and it may bring up questions around viability of this path. It’s still a wait and see how the next 24 hours go again as it’s been very hard on her body. She is remaining strong though and has not forgotten her wonderful smile that we all know.

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  • 3 days post surgery

      1 May 2026

    Penny has had a very rough night last night and a bit of a temp for awhile but it has settled so they are just keeping a close eye for infection. They still have her on pain relief infusions to try and keep her comfortable and plasmalyte to support her body through this knock. A bit of position change has been needed today to try prevent pneumonia developing from the pain when breathing. Just taking one day at a time at this stage while keeping an eye on everything and trying to keep her comfortable. It has taken quite the toll on her small body. She is still smiling and keeping as strong as she can and very much appreciates all the love from everyone.

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  • 24 hours post surgery

      29 April 2026

    Penny is hanging in there with a brave face on. It has been a rough 24 hours for her. She is on a strong mix of pain relief and plasma infusions to help keep her comfortable and stable but is still in a lot of pain. Complications during and post surgery have left her very drained and account for a lot of the pain but they are trying their bests to keep her comfortable. She is also doing without any oxygen or breathing support too which is a relief. We are hoping she has a more comfortable night tonight but despite everything she is still being her strong self and hanging in there.

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  • Surgery update

      29 April 2026

    Update as of midnight Tuesday night/early Wednesday. Penny made it through surgery, although it was more complicated than anticipated with a few emergency complications post surgery but she has fought through all of those! She has been through quite the battle!! She is in a lot of pain which they are trying to get under control and her breathing is improving after needing some help. They have said next 24 hrs will be a wait and see if things settle and stabilize and how her body deals with being put through this. Gastro is a little concerning but they will keep reviewing and repeating scans every 2 hours and keep a close eye on her.

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  • Update on Penny’s upcoming surgery

      24 April 2026
    Main image

    The date for Penny’s upcoming surgery has been locked in for next week Tuesday 28th April. The surgery is to try stabilise her body more by gaining access through her stomach to put in a different permanent feeding line. The risks are high but Penny is more determined and stronger than ever (mentally) to get through this next hurdle.

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    • 11/05/2026 by Stu & Sue

      After the last update we are lost for words, it’s times like this you wish that words could mend broken bodies. Please let Penny know she is in our thoughts as always and we send our upmost love Sue and Stu xx

    • 11/05/2026 by Amy Fowler

      Poor Penny has been through so much. As always I have passed on your words and Penny appreciates all the love and support so very much xx