UPDATE - Money Raised Thank you!! - Raising funds for Melody Klein Ovink's life saving surgery in America

Dear wonderful people,

We have just heard the most amazing news- the Ministry of Health is going to financially contribute the rest of what we need to make this treatment journey possible!!

As such we stopping the Give a Little page at the amount currently raised as we have achieved our goal!! We will be keeping the page open in order to reply to all the comments and thank everyone on this platform.

We have been beyond amazed at the incredible generosity of friends, family and so many people who don't know us personally. Each and every gift has bolstered our spirits after what has been a challenging time since Melody's diagnosis. As a family we can’t even come close to express how grateful we are - please receive our deepest thanks.

Thank you to all of you who have written words of love and strength and also to those who are praying for our family, and especially for Melody, throughout this journey.

Ngā mihi nui xx

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Melody is a kind, generous, hardworking 24-year old with a passion for life. She enjoys caring for others as a physio at Tauranga Hospital.

Last year she was diagnosed with a rare condition known as a C2-C3 spinal AVM (arterio-venous malformation), which is located high up inside her spinal cord. The severe pain she was admitted into hospital for was caused by a bleed from blood vessels within the AVM. Neurosurgeons believe that since Melody has had one bleed, the risk of another bleed is much greater as the blood vessel walls inside the AVM can weaken over time. A future bleed would likely result in quadriplegia or death. The complexity and rarity of Melody's condition means that no New Zealand neurosurgeons have the experience to operate on her.

Good news though! Specialist vascular neurosurgeons at the Barrow Neurological Institute in America have reviewed Melody's case and are confident that they could surgically remove the AVM, providing a complete cure for her condition. Unfortunately, as health care is private in America and the treatment is so specialised, the cost of surgery, postoperative care and rehabilitation required is significant, with the final quote being $470,000 (NZD).

Melody is so thankful to have this life saving treatment opportunity and is currently saving and fundraising so she can go to America for treatment as soon as possible.

The Klein Ovink family appreciate the support and care that they have been shown by so many wonderful people over the past months. As a community let’s gather with Melody and her family and continue to show her our support, because giving a little makes a big difference.

For those who want to follow along Melody's fundraising and treatment journey follow this link: https://m.facebook.com/groups/305242384313259?group_view_referrer=search

For more information on Melody's condition follow this link: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/spinal-arteriovenous-malformation/symptoms-causes/syc-20355613

Ngā mihi nui / Thank you so much!