"JOURNEY FOR LIFE" stay alive to find a cure

Alana's journey for life to stay alive to find a cure.

In 2011 Alana was diagnosed with a very rare cancer (CARCINOID SYNDROME)

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/carcinoid-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20370666 this was not long after the birth of her son. She was given a life expectancy of 5-8 years! BUT with Alana's will to fight to not give up to watch her son grow to stay alive to find a cure! She is still fighting 11 years on! This hasn't been & this isn't a easy fight for her, Alana has entailed 5 major surgeries within this time. Since 2011 Alana has fundraised for gatate scans & treatment in Melbourne Australia at the Peter Mac Cancer Center. The reason being the scan is shown in colour which can pick up on the tumors much easier as they spread like grains of sand.

On the 20th April 2020 Alana noticed yellowness around the whites of her eyes and her skin ( jaundice). She was admitted to Southland hospital with concerns the cancer had spread to her liver or kidneys. Day 10 on she received a ct scan, day 12 a MRI but all they could see was that her liver and kidney was POSSIBLY BLOCKED. She was then transferred to Dunedin hospital via ambulance to have stents put into her liver, in hopes to unblock it.

2 nights spent in Dunedin hospital ALONE due to covid-19, alana was transferred back to Southland hospital. Discharged with morphine, minor back pain. Day 15 Alana is awakened with extreme pain in the right of her back and shortness of breath.

Doctors are unsure where the pain is coming from, weather she needs stents also in her kidneys, which could cause multiple issues. They are also unsure where or if the cancer is spreading. Because they can't see on the scans.

Very recently a multi million dollar scanning machine was brought into Auckland NZ, unfortunately not funded and doubled the price of Melbourne.

Due to covid-19 Alana is unable to travel to Melbourne without avoiding the 14 day quarantine on both sides.

To have the scan done in Auckland would have show any spread & be the 1st step to know how urgently Alana need's to be transferred to Melbourne for more treatment.

This is only the start of this part of Alana's journey of life to stay alive to find a cure.