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Izzy is Stressed and Compressed !! Please help us to fund life-saving surgery in Germany that is not available in New Zealand

  • There's no place like home

      24 March 2024
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    Today marks 5 months since Izzy's surgery and 3 months being back in NZ. We are loving being home in our familiar environment and catching up with friends and family.

    So far recovery has been every bit as difficult and up and down as they prepared us it would be.

    Some days are still incredibly hard with pain and nausea, but amongst the ongoing challenges Izzy is slowly returning back to the girl we once knew. Izzy is now able to enjoy walking her dog again, going to the beach, and spending time with friends. All things she didn't have any energy for 6 short months ago. She went to Armageddon last weekend and walked around for 1.5hrs which is a miracle for a girl who was largely wheelchair bound before we went to Germany.

    It it taking time for her digestive system to get used to functioning again but she is trying really hard to eat, and is again receiving nutritional support from a feeding tube which has enabled her to put on a little weight.

    Izzy now has the energy to continue with her schoolwork and keep working towards her goal of being a Vet. It means she is actively participating in life now when 6 short months ago she had no life at all.

    We truly believe this operation saved her life and as one specialist noted this week it came not a moment too soon for her. She is far from 100% yet but we are hopeful we will continue to see more improvements as time goes by.

    Thank you for you support, it will never be forgotten, and we wish you all a wonderful 2024.

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  • Thank you, Thank you, Thank you 💕

      30 November 2023
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    As our Givealittle page draws to a close tomorrow we would like to sincerely thank everyone who has donated and helped us to make this surgery happen for Izzy.

    We absolutely could not have done it without your support and will be forever grateful that you stood beside us in our time of greatest need.

    5 weeks post-op Izzy is recovering well and enjoying discovering eating and drinking again. Izzy had a bad day last week when she had periods of vomiting (very normal) but in between she looked up at me and said “it’s still way better than it was before Mum”.

    It reminded me that even if things are not perfect we can still find some joy in imperfect moments. This week we found out Izzy is to receive an award from her school for her perseverance with her studies this year despite her challenging health situation. We are so proud of her.

    Izzy also experienced snow for the first time this week and rode on a double decker train both of which bought much joy.

    We had final scans yesterday in Leipzig that confirmed all the compressions are gone and there is no longer any pelvic congestion or blood flowing into areas it shouldn’t be. What a relief and confirmation this was the right thing to do for our girl.

    Full recovery will take 12mths but we are soo grateful the surgery was a success and excited for the bright future Izzy now has in front of her.

    Your support has truly changed the course of our lives and we will never forget the outpouring of kindness we have received.

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  • The sweet taste of freedom…or so we thought

      16 November 2023
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    After 14 days in hospital we were released to our hotel last Tuesday. We were very excited to be under our own steam and be able to get out for little walks each day as part of Izzy’s rehab and to explore Dusseldorf.

    Unfortunately the universe had other plans and within 24hrs both Izzy and I tested positive for Covid :(

    After her run-in with the Flu a few months back and newly recovering from a major surgery we were very concerned at how Izzy’s body would handle this latest challenge. Thankfully we both had a fairly mild dose of Covid and are now well on the mend.

    Its been pretty cold and rainy here for most of the last week so we didn’t really miss much by being confined to our hotel room. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise to make us take it easy and rest for another week. Izzy has made good use of our time in isolation by painting some of the local landmarks.

    Izzy is loving being able to try food and drink again that she has gone without for soo long, but is missing the comfort of things from home that we can’t get here such as lemonade ice-blocks and tropical juice.

    Her surgical wounds have healed really well and her pain is mostly well managed, so now we are just figuring out the right balance of activity vs rest and how to build her nutrition up again when she is only eating very small portions.

    Recovery is well underway and we are so grateful for her progress so far. Thank you to everyone who is keeping Izzy in their thoughts, we really appreciate it.

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    • 16/11/2023 by Sara Madsen

      So glad you guys are on the mend. God knows best so perhaps another week of downtime is exactly what you needed. Let us know your favourite German eats Izzy?! Love you …xxx

  • 1 week post-op update

      1 November 2023
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    It has certainly been an up and down week since Izzy had her surgery but there have also been soo many improvements to celebrate already.

    We are thrilled to report that Izzy is drinking and eating small amounts of food pain free!

    After almost 6mths on a feeding tube when only a mouthful of liquid caused immense pain this feels like a miracle to us.

    Izzy is also up out of bed and able to walk short distances on her own. After relying very heavily on wheelchair assistance for the last 3 months due to leg instability this is a huge win.

    Izzy has also managed to come off two of her regular medications (one of which she has been on for the last 2 years) as a result of improvements in her health following the surgery.

    Its so wonderful to see her smiling and her energy and cheeky spirit returning. Izzy has shown immeasurable bravery and resilience and we are so proud of her for getting through this.

    Recovery will be a long and challenging road but we are so encouraged by these early improvements and excited for the future ahead of her.

    This victory belongs to everyone who has supported us on this journey and we will be forever grateful for your help in giving Izzy her life back.

    Thank you from the bottom of our hearts and we look forward to updating you on her progress as it unfolds.

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    • 02/11/2023 by Rebecca

      Dear Izzy, Sarah and family. I so happy to read that things are going well post-surgery and have thought about you constantly in the last few weeks. It's an absolute victory and a triumph that you're eating and drinking and up and about Izzy. You look just beautiful. All my love and on-going best wishes, Rebecca Bayliss ❤

  • A new chapter begins

      25 October 2023
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    Our beautiful brave girl is safely out of surgery 💕

    Thank you so much for all your prayers and good wishes, they are so appreciated.

    We look forward to updating you on Izzy’s progress in the weeks to come :)

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    • 25/10/2023 by Allen

      such fantastic news Izzy! and you are looking so happy!! keep up the great work in recovery. love the Lowyims

  • Scanned and ready to go

      22 October 2023
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    Izzy's scans on Wednesday went really well. She had to eat and drink something for the scans so she chose a puddingbretzel and an iced tea. The smile on her face didn't last long when the pain started but it was important to get the right images.

    The scans confirmed everything we suspected and a couple of extra things we knew were possibilities. Izzy has been diagnosed with:

    Severe MALS (Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome)

    Severe lordosis of the spine (fixable in NZ)

    Severe Nutcracker Syndrome (left renal vein)

    Severe May Thurner Syndrome (left Iliac vein)

    Right iliac vein compression

    Low grade compression of the Vena Cava

    Severe pelvic congestion

    Floating kidneys

    The MALS compression in her diaphragm will be causing her nausea and dizziness. The left renal vein compression will be causing the pain in her stomach particularly when she eats, and the left Iliac vein compression will be causing the lack of blood flow to her leg causing numbness/tingling and instability.

    It was hard to hear but also very validating that we were right to come here and these are serious issues that need to be fixed to give her back her quality of life.

    We are admitted to hospital tomorrow then hopefully have Surgery on Tuesday PM New Zealand time. Please keep Izzy in your thoughts and prayers over the next few days and thank you so much for all your love and support. We can really feel it even from half a world away 🙂

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  • Hello from Germany

      18 October 2023
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    We did it team!! Over the last 10 weeks thanks to your incredible generosity we have raised enough funds to pay for the major components of Izzy’s surgery.

    We were recently offered the opportunity to come to Germany as soon as possible and given her declining health we jumped on it and arrived here on the weekend.

    We have scans to reveal the true extent of the compressions tomorrow morning followed by surgery tentatively booked in for the last week of October.

    Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to everyone who has supported us by donating and wishing us well. The road ahead is still long and challenging but at least now Izzy has a chance at a normal life again.

    We absolutely could not have done this without you all and we will be forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support we have received.

    We can’t wait to update you in the weeks to come on Izzy’s progress.

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  • The end is in sight

      9 October 2023
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    Thank you so much to everyone who has donated since our last update. After a generous contribution from our health insurance we are now within $20,000 of where we need to be to make this trip happen!

    Izzy has been really enjoying the warmer weather and taking the opportunity to paint and sketch outside in the sun. She is managing to maintain her weight on the new feeding tube and has a bit more energy, but pain and nausea are still her constant companions.

    Staying positive and mentally strong is a constant challenge, but Izzy has loved reading all the messages you have sent her with your donations and they help motivate us to keep pushing forward.

    Izzy had a lovely boost the other day when she received some beautiful hand me down clothes from a very stylish friend. She was absolutely thrilled with them as most of her other clothes don’t fit any more after losing 25kg in weight. Izzy loves fashion so it really lifted her spirits to be able to wear nice clothes that fit well again.

    We have spent the last few weeks doing what we can to get prepared for Germany by putting the finishing touches on Izzy’s schooling for the year and utilising the end of winter sales to grab all the warm clothing we can to equip ourselves for a trip to the Northern Hemisphere. We are so hopeful that we will be able to make this surgery happen before the end of the year, and that we will be able to enter into 2024 with a much brighter outlook for our beautiful girl.

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  • We are officially over half-way to our goal!

      17 September 2023
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    Thank you so much to everyone who has supported our efforts to fundraise for Izzy's surgery. We are thrilled to report that we are now officially over half-way to our $140,000 goal. Between the Give A Little page and private donations we have now raised $80,000 !! This is a phenomenal effort and we are so grateful for each and every dollar contributed. We would like to give a shout out this update to all the wonderful businesses who have recently jumped onboard to support us.

    The last few weeks have been busy ones in our household. Despite ongoing pain, nausea and brain fog Izzy successfully completed 5 exams in Biology, Chemistry, History and Maths. Izzy's brother also competed in AIMS games representing his school in Futsal. Izzy managed to attend a few games that they won so she considers herself the good luck charm.

    Izzy has managed to gain 2kg in weight on her new feeding tube and has a more energy lately. We took her to a local community market in the wheelchair on Saturday and it was wonderful to be out in the fresh air and sunshine. Spring has sprung and we are feeling hopeful that we will have a surgery date confirmed soon and full of gratitude for the amazing support we have received.

    Izzy recently received a beautiful bunch of sunflowers from family overseas who are thinking of her. Yellow is her favourite colour and they definitely lifted her spirits.

    Thank you again for your kindness, we absolutely couldn't have done it with without you all.

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  • Its so good to be home

      28 August 2023
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    After 11 days in hospital we are finally home! Izzy fought the Flu and won although the battle cost her a couple of kg in weight that she couldn't afford to lose. We are very hopeful that the new NJ tube will help us to increase her feed volume, reduce her discomfort, and enable her to put on some much needed weight.

    Anyone who has spent an extended period in hospital will know how mentally and physically draining it is and we have spent the last few days trying to catch up on sleep and rest. Izzy continues to amaze us with her strength and resilience. The highlight of each day in hospital was a visit with Steps the hospital cat who took to jumping up on her lap in her wheelchair whenever he saw her.

    This week the focus is on Izzy's practice exams for NCEA Level 1 which will likely end up being her end of year results as we will hopefully be overseas when the exams are usually sat. We are so proud of how she has managed to continue to persevere with her schooling in the midst of all her health challenges.

    Since our last update the generous donations have continued to pour in and between the Give A Little page and private donations we have raised $60,000 of our $140,000 goal in 3 weeks! Thank you so much to each and every person who has donated. We have been so encouraged by all the lovely messages of support and particularly touched by all the fundraising efforts that have been made on Izzy's behalf. We've got this and couldn't have done it without you all.

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  • We are 20% of the way there team!

      13 August 2023
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    Thank you so much to the 225 generous donors who have helped us to reach this impressive milestone in only 7 days! Between this Give a Little page and private donations we have now raised over $30,000 towards Izzy's surgery and are already over 20% of the way there.

    It has been the bright spot in an otherwise challenging week. Izzy has ended up in hospital due to a nasty bout of the Flu that sent her whole system haywire. She has been feeling pretty yucky and low and all your messages of support have been very much appreciated.

    Today we had a visit from her number one fan her puppy Ivy. Half an hour in the sunshine and puppy cuddles have done her spirit the world of good. Tomorrow will see the insertion of an NJ tube to help Izzy to hopefully be able to tolerate her feed better. Please continue to pray for her and send good wishes for a smooth procedure that helps to relieve some of her pain and keep her healthy until we can get to Germany.

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  • Thank you from the bottom of our hearts

      9 August 2023
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    In only 3 short days, between this Give A Little page and private donations we have already raised $20,000 towards our $140,000 goal!! We would like to thank each an every person who has donated - we could not do this without you. We appreciate that for every person who has donated it is a conscious choice to go without something in your life or for your family so you can help us. We are so humbled and honored by this response and the kindness shown towards our family. Izzy has had a tough health week but reading all the messages of support to her has really lifted her spirits and given her hope that we can make this happen and that her suffering will be over soon. We are hoping to head to Germany in October and will update you further when we have a firm date. Thank you again for your support and please keep sharing the link to this page so we can continue this awesome progress.

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