PLEASE HELP PORTIA SWAN TO BEAT BRAIN CANCER - this brave 15 yr-old Kiwi still needs your support!
PORTIA HAS SURVIVED TWO MAJOR BRAIN SURGERIES TO FIGHT BRAIN CANCER We need your support to help fund her ongoing treatment & rehabilitation
Auckland
On 30 September 2022, Portia Rose Swan (14-years) underwent brain surgery to remove a grade 3 Astrocytoma tumour.
While delighted that Portia pulled through, parents Matt & Penny and the entire Swan family were devastated to learn that 20% of the tumour remains, as it was too risky to remove at that time.
Recently, Portia’s surgeon, Dr Andrew Law, informed the family that the second operation is now urgent, as the remaining tumour is located in a very high-risk area of Portia's brain & could grow and become inoperable if left any longer.
So, Portia will undergo further surgery - an ‘Awake Craniotomy’ - on Tuesday 21 November in Auckland NZ.
The surgery will be performed while she is conscious & able to talk to her surgeons, as this reduces the risk of damaging critical areas of her brain which control speech & movement.
Portia's journey will continue to be long & tough but the Swans are facing it with strength & positivity and will do whatever it takes to give their darling Portia a bright future.
Portia celebrated her 15th birthday recently & she has shown incredible resilience & bravery beyond measure over the past year. Her courage & positivity before & after her first surgery has been even more impressive, considering all the setbacks she's faced.
We are now asking for your help, via financial support, to assist this wonderful family with the ongoing expenses which will be incurred.
***Previous Givealittle page here: https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/help-portia-swan***
Use of funds
Rehabilitation & post operative treatment here & abroad, poss including relocation; Intro into the ZERO programme (clinical trial for brain tumour research that is currently available in Sydney or Melbourne); enabling Penny to take time off work to support Portia throughout her treatment & recovery; Overseas clinical trials, travel & accommodation
Latest update
PORTIA'S JOURNEY - NEXT PHASE 2025 :) 5 December 2024
Greetings to you all - As 2024 is coming to an end we wanted to reach out and wish you all a Happy & Safe Christmas and many blessings and good wishes to you and your wonderful families during the holiday season as we enter a New Year. Thank you ALL once again for your kind generosity and support over the last 24-months. Just an update on this page from our end. As sadly there is no immediate cure for brain cancer we have made a decision to take Portia abroad where we have identified more specialised treatment both conventional and unconventional. We now have multiple off shore oncologists and a nutritional team who are working collectively with us, we are very grateful to have pulled together a wonderful medical team. Funds are ongoing towards our ever mounting costs of private treatments. Private medical advisors and oncologists. Private scanning. Nutritional supplements and all the associated costs of the life changing journey we are on. We can't express enough how grateful we are for your continual support on what can be a very overwhelming journey to say the least but with the power of community, family and friends, we will continue to fight until the bitter end.
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