Help Mia To Live Life

Last year 16 year old Mia was on an academic scholarship with a really bright future, volunteering at an afterschool program to teach yoga to kids, arranging study guide collections for low decile schools, hanging out with her friends & dancing.

In Aug 22 she started fainting & was hospitalized with POTS which affects her autonomic nervous system & her ability to pump blood around her body. Without blood to her brain she suffered extreme brain fog.

Her cardiologist got her on the right meds in January and the fainting stopped but the abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting started. A gastroscopy & colonoscopy ruled out gastro issues.

Mia has Classical Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, a rare genetic connective tissue disorder. In her case, EDS has resulted in abdominal vascular compressions which cause her symptoms and require surgery. It turns out POTS, EDS and vascular compressions are linked.

She's has lost over 8kgs, is in pain, nauseous, unable to eat solid food, her hair is falling out & she's not in school.

Mia's vascular surgeon says she needs surgery only available overseas. German specialists are willing to treat Mia & help her return to a normal life.

The cost of 140k is based on estimates from other Kiwi families whose girls have had the same surgery in Germany.

Thank you for your help in getting Mia the surgery she desperately needs.

If we do not raise enough funds to send Mia to Germany, all funds will be put towards her ongoing medical care while we explore other funding options.