Nz medical system👎 Please help Paula❤️Even if you share this page you are helping🙌

Hi, my name is Stacey.

My best friend Paula Mcfarlane needs our help so im kick starting this page for her along with fund raising with sausage sizzles, cake stalls, xmas raffles and anything else i can think of over the next couple of months so we can get $45k to get this op for her.(I live 6 hours away from her- this photo was taken 2 hours before i called ambo last weekend, she was incoherrent, in tears, screaming in agony:( poor thing. This cant go on! I want to help get her better, our medical system is shit.

I have known Paula for 19 years, she is a super bubbley, kind, caring, fun loving kinda girl-Who i would do anything for.

Heres abit from her about her story/condition-

My story:

“I had no back issues at all up until age 30 (2004) when I was involved in an accident that burst my T9/10 vertebrae. A month into rehab they pick up an extra back problem called spondylolithesis. This is where a lower vertebrae slips because of traumatic injury. At this point the spondylolithesis was a 1 mm slip of my L5 vertebrae. (I've since learnt, very treatable)

No one worried about this and it was never mentioned again. Since that injury I've struggled with pain daily that has increased to the point of not being able to cope. My doc constantly told me it was nerve damage and nothing could be done. This year it became unbearable and I was barely functioning. A new doc ordered X-rays. Sent me straight to a muscular skeletal specialist who said the spondylolithesis had now developed into a grade 3 11mm slip. Basically my L5 vertebrae is hanging off by 11mm.

I was referred to orthopaedics and everyone started talking surgery. When I asked my doc why the specialist had to be paid for (why wasn't it under acc) she told me that I'd now have to fight to get it under acc as there was a possibility that the spondylolithesis happened at birth. She also told me I'd have to go right back to the very beginning if I was to fight and that I'd probably 99.9% lose anyway.

Here's the kicker:

Spondylolithesis is caused by one of 2 things; birth or traumatic injury. When it's by birth, it ALWAYS presents itself by age 20. And I was perfect specimen (😆) until that accident. All of my back related treatments have always gone under acc until right now!!!

If my L5 slips to 15mm I will be WHEELCHAIR bound. It's been slipping at a rate of 1mm per year.”

Unfortunately for a very long time she has had back problems but has been able to stay on top of the pain, in the last few years the pain has become excruciating to the point it completely rules her life. Some days she cant move or get out of bed,let alone putting up with that much pain!! this is affecting her home/work and mum life.

She is a solo parent and has been since her son was small, Being a single mum extra costs are not in her budget for insurance- so she is not covered, her main focus is her son and giving him a great start in life. They have a very close connection and i love seeing them hanging out.

She has been through tons of doctors appointments, specalists, then finally an MRI. She wrote this last week after she was told what her condition was and that no she wasnt allowed the operation through public.

“Thankyou to all your kind words and support. These last few months i”ve been hanging in there for a back op that would”ve given me pretty decent odds of being good again. I have grade 3 Spondylolisthesis mixed with what they”ve called a severe left hand stenosis. Basically my LS vertebrae has slipped 11mm off and is crushing root nerves all around. This week i was told that there is no op for me via public funding. Apparently the Stenosil needs to be central for me to qualify. I”m on 23 pills per day and some days that only JUST masks all the various pains. To get the op privately is at least $35k”

This was after the weekend which i”d just been down and spent with her for her birthday and spent the weekend with her in A&E after i called an ambulance due to her condition and detorriation on Saturday night. It was scary, aweful to see her like that and i felt totally hopeless not being able to help. It was absolutely heart breaking.How does someone function in life with such a condition? I feel it is paramount to get her back on her feet and try this operation so i”m going to be doing my best to make that happen along with your help. This is how i /and you can help her! The money we raise will be for the operation, doctors appointments, follow up treatment, at home costs with her being unable to work for at least 6 weeks etc

Thankyou so very much for your time❤️ Even if you can not afford $1 to go towards this life changing operation for Paula please share this post as someone on your friends/family list maybe able to help.

Watch this space xx