Kate's Chance to walk unaided

Since I was a little girl, I have had to face my disability, all the while wishing that I could do everything most other people can do - run around, jump over objects, play Saturday morning sports, and more. But even right now as a young adult, I can’t do what I would love to do. Why? Because I have cerebral palsy.

Medical misadventure at birth caused my cerebral palsy which has made both my leg muscles weak and tight. Although I can walk by myself, I require to use a walking stick for balance. I would love to come off my walking stick and live the physical life that other people do.

Despite all these complications, I am currently studying for a Bachelor of Teaching at the University of Waikato, doing practicums, supervising out-of-school care and recreation (OSCAR) programmes, and being a devout fan of various sports.

I now have an opportunity to undergo surgery in America which could enable me to do everything I want to do, but it’s going to cost NZ$100,000. My family and I are doing all we can to raise these funds, but if you could help in any way, I would deeply appreciate it. This surgery would be life-changing, but ACC policy does not allow it to give funds for it. It's all down to my family and your donations.

Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) involves cutting some of the sensory nerve fibers that come from the muscles and enter the spinal cord.

Cerebral palsy involves spasticity - extreme tightness in various muscles and difficulty consciously controlling them - so the SDR surgery will enable the particular sensory nerves that cause a high level of spasticity in me to be cut. This will decrease her spasticity and give her a profound increase in control over her body. SDR is the only operation yet discovered to have these sorts of benefits for cerebral palsy patients.

SDR will result in improvements in sitting, standing, walking and balance control. It is conducted by a doctor named Dr. T S Park at St Louis Children’s Hospital, who has already helped approximately 3,000 people with cerebral palsy. http://www.stlouischildrens.org/our-services/center-cerebral-palsy-spasticity/about-cerebral-palsy-spasticity

NZ$100,000 is needed for the surgery, and the three weeks I need to stay in St Louis with my parents afterward to concentrate on my rehabilitation.

Please help me to achieve my dream of gaining physical ability beyond anything I have ever known, and to live my life to the fullest.