Please help us to have Michelle's back

Michelle was diagnosed in August 2017, aged 17 with scoliosis. The diagnosis came as a huge shock. We had no awareness of scoliosis nor its long term effects.

Michelle's spine is in the shape of an S. Her thoracic curve is 55 degrees and her lumbar curve is 45 degrees. The doctor said that her curves will further progress with 1-2 degrees every year. They have recommended full spinal fusion to curb the further progression. Fusion is a very invasive procedure and a long recovery time of 3-6 months. This is a last resort for us.

Shell shocked we started reading about scoliosis and did heaps of research. VBT sounded like a better option than fusion, but Michelle is too old for this method. We have therefore opted for ASC (anterior scoliosis correction), which uses the same methodology as VBT but is designed for mature patients. ASC is less invasive and will leave her with more flexibility and the recovery time is 6 weeks.

The downside is that there are only a dosen of surgeons worldwide that performs this procedure on mature patients. We have decided on a clinic in Germany. Michelle's surgery is scheduled for the 9th of July 2018. The medical bills, amounting to €47,000, has to be paid 3 weeks before the surgery date. Unfortunately our medical insurance doesn't cover any of our costs.

The mere thought of the surgery on our youngest is petrifying, but doing nothing is not on option. Wait and see is not an option.

Having to ask for assistance is a humbling experience, but if it helps Michelle, we want to fly a big SOS flag. Please help us to have Michelle's back.