Help Jaidyn Live Happily Ever After

My daughter Amy calls Jai her happily ever after best friend. She is gorgeous happy 4 year old.

When Jaidyn was just over a year old, her uncle noticed her neck was stiff. She was then diagnosed with Klippel Feil, her c1 through to c7 vertebra are fused and she has very little neck movement. They also discovered she has a ASD heart defect and has hydronephrosis in her right kidney, along with a chiari malformation which means her skull is malformed and as a result her brain grows slightly down into her spinal column.

They operated on her and repaired the kidney, and the heart defect just needs monitoring. The doctors said with her Klippel Feil - hopefully everything would progress ok and she might never need surgery.

She has reached all her developmental milestones and runs, plays, has picnics, goes hunting with Dad, loves her fairy garden, is a great swimmer just like any other 4 year old.

On Monday after a routine checkup at Starship in Auckland her neurosurgeon dropped a bombshell on the family advising them that an MRI has shown a syrinx cyst has formed in her spinal cord. Left untreated jaidyn will be a quadriplegic on a ventilator.

They need to operate. The surgeon has said he will come back to them in a few weeks with a plan. He is not sure if it can be done in NZ, or they may have to travel overseas. It is a very challenging surgery.

Either way this is going to put tremendous pressure on a truly amazing family. 9 years ago Ness and Andy had to spend over 6 months in starship with Kaleb, Jais older brother. He was born with half a heart, and needed 3 open heart surgeries. Kaleb is now a happy 9 year old boy thanks to the amazing team at starship. Connor their eldest is 11. Ness is expecting their surprise 4th child in October.

This is something that the family really need to be together, to get through. Andy is a self employed builder - and whether they have to travel to auckland or overseas, we really want to try and help take away the financial burden as much as we can. Because we live in Blenheim - the health board often only pays for one parent to travel with the patient. Ideally we would love to raise enough so the whole family can go wherever with Jai, and bring her home still being able to run around and play in her fairy garden with Amy.

We will know more in three or four weeks whether they are staying in NZ or heading overseas for treatment. I just really want to get started now and relieve some of the financial strain so they can focus on the important things and spend time with their kids.

Please read the updates on this page - As they go through the journey I will keep all the donors updated on their progress.

Jai's Amazing Aunty Rochelle has pulled together an amazing Fundraising Dinner and Auction at the Woodbourne Tavern in Renwick on April 24th. Tickets are available at the Woodbourne - or just show up on the night. A link to its event page is listed on the facebook link to the right here. We really want to Thank So Much all the businesses involved in getting this off the ground and making it happen - Small Communities ROCK - you guys have the biggest hearts! Check out the facebook page and please support those that are supporting this.