Mikayla's bad experience with the NZ health system

My name is Shane Crosbie. I am creating this page to help Mel Tocher and her 20 year old daughter and best friend Mikayla Hogan from Ashburton. A few weeks ago Mikayla got rushed to Ashburton hospital only to be sent home with pain relief. As days went by visits to after-hours doctors (a a huge expense) and 4 more trips in the ambulance (at $95 each time), a decision was finally made to rush Mikayla to Christchurch hospital neurology ward. This decision was made very late in the piece despite Mikayla complaining of extreme headaches, vision problems and coordination issues. Up until this point, Mikayla was treated by multiple medical professionals who all neglected to respond appropriately to her symptoms. As a result she seems to have lost the sight in one eye – most probably permanently – and is fighting to retain the sight in her other eye.

On arrival at Christchurch hospital, an examination showed fluid behind her eyes – fluid that is not supposed to be there. The pressure of the fluid in and around Mikayla’s brain and spinal chord had forced this fluid into the back of her eyes, damaging and bruising the optic nerve. It was only now that the specialist neurologist affirmed the incredible pain she had been suffering for nearly two weeks, and put her straight on morphine. At this point she was writhing in pain, losing sensation in her legs and arms, had intermittent extreme pain in her legs, and could not see out of both eyes, with the left eye noticeable worse than the right. Both of her beautiful blue eyes were permanently dilated and she was noise-sensitive – not ideal in the 4 bed ward she was in. A spinal tap was performed to get fluid to test, and to relieve pressure in her brain/eyes. The doctors, around now, started to call it ‘meningitis” but could not be more precise about the cause and the damage to her eyes was not altogether consistent with typical meningitis. She was put on antiviral medication for the most likely culprit, but tests for certain types of virus all came back negative. She was also put on medication to try to lessen the pressure in the brain – but a second spinal tap had to be performed – but it didn’t work. After a week in Christchurch, Mikayla had to undergo brain surgery to put a drain above her right eye to drain the fluid more effectively. Less than a week later the drain blocked – another surgery to put in a second drain. The fluid has continued to drain at an alarming rate – despite medication being increased to manage the pressure. Still no diagnosis and the drain now needs clamped every hour or so to limit the flow. Mel was called into Christchurch hospital (from Ashburton) at 1am to help manage Mikayla after the drain had dried her brain out and caused another excruciating headache – the news gets no better. Mikayla has yet to regain her eye-sight and this young lady was about to embark on an adventure to SIT in Invercargill for a 3 year course in computing but this will not happen now- and depending on her recovery – her eyesight may mean she will never be able to do it. It's in these difficult times in life where we must rely on our support network and the kindness of others to step up and do everything they can to help – please help Mel and Mikayla – they are genuinely caring and nice people – and both have suffered tremendously at the hands of the NZ health system. If only she had been properly cared for after the first ambulance took her to hospital- she may not have lost her eye sight.