2024 Frontline recovery: Sepsis Surgery Rehab fund

Hello, My name is Nick Chesterfield. I am a long-time human rights, civil resistance & environmental justice journalist of Nunga First Nations heritage, living with field injury degenerative complex disability and immunocompromise, caused by 29x sepsis/cellulitis infections, lymphoedema, tropical blood parasites, and long-term injuries caused by state & corporate violence against my work.

After 4 years of delays from state mismanagement, medical gaslighting and pandemic collapse cancellations in the health system, I finally have been given the last viable chance to get my disability under a degree of control so I can return to work, alleviate the constant pain, and hopefully not die in poverty as Australia condemns people with a disability to do, despite what we can contribute.

Surviving the hell year of 2022 with a constant barrage of loss, The February 27 flood displacement, injury and subsequent eviction/relocation, illness, injuries caused by disability, and extreme endurance, I have finally been offered a bit of hope.

I have a secured date (after 4 years on a waiting list) for a significant quality-of-life surgery for abdominal reconstruction following massive weight loss, at the Royal Adelaide Hospital on April 28. Six months later if my recovery goes well, I am also being offered final follow-up surgery six months later for Lymphatic Venous Anastomosis.

These two surgeries will remove the last two barriers I face in bringing the painful disability of lymphoedema under control, so that I may regain function, energy & mobility to return to strong health. These final major steps are required before I can finally end this cycle of illness, burnout, and being excluded from employment due to a rare condition, deliberately misunderstood by employers.

After decades on the frontline working with marginalised communities to return to reporting on Melanesian and First Nations resistance, especially the in-hiatus WestPapuaMedia project, it is time to get these skills, tools and resources back into the struggle, whilst trying to get my health back to field strength. Whilst I still have time.

The abdominal reconstructive surgery is to get rid of excess skin hanging off me after my loss of almost 100kg after sleeve gastrectomy. These surgeries are not about cosmetics. They were to kick-start my broken lymphatic system by creating an endocrine reset by removing the massive weight gain caused by lymphoedema.

The abdominoplasty is to remove a significant sepsis risk. When one achieves massive weight loss, the leftover skin stretches beyond elasticity due to its weight and free movement. It opens up vast and deep gashes in my skin, causing infected ulcers, letting in bacteria, triggering cellulitis/sepsis and massive lymphoedematous swelling Removing this last bit of spare tissue will remove the fibrotic massing caused by lymphoedema. The LVA surgery will bypass my diseased lymph nodes, and transport the old diseased fluid directly to my veins, into my kidneys and outside of my body, as it does normally for people without lymphoedema

The cost though?

Even in the public health system, Surgery costs a lot of money, and there are so many hidden costs that are not included in the public health component, which only covers surgery and hospitalisation alone. What is not covered are the massive ancillary, preparation, recovery, rehabilitation and transport costs. Including a buffer for emergency complications, I will need to raise almost $8,500 to cover this, as I will not be able to access any work during this time. That’s the unreported reality of the gaps in accessing public healthcare in Australia – and that is just as much as if I was on private health cover (which I have been denied since I was 23)

Because of our silly siloed colonial state-based healthcare system, Queensland Health refuses to offer reconstructive surgery from procedures done in another state, I am currently ineligible for interstate Patient transport subsidy schemes. There is no reciprocal arrangement between Queensland and South Australia. Queensland refused to transfer reconstructive surgery from SA because their eligibility testing uses an unscientific BMI cutoff (I am 6ft 4 with a muscular build, so even if I had 3% body fat, I still would not qualify).

This is a very big fundraiser that I am asking for your help with, at a time that is difficult for so many. However this is my last chance to transform a debilitating disability, that leaves me flat on my back regularly and fighting for my existence, into a manageable condition that will enable me to return to sharing the frontline platforms and skills, and building the tools, needed to help ensure accountability for human rights and environmental abuses across First Nations struggles in our region.

Due to the waitlist for specialist appointments to get assessment reports for my suite of disabilities, the timeline means I cannot apply to NDIS for support until just before my surgeries. That will then take months.

It would be great if I could ensure that flights and support is booked and paid for as early as possible so that I can lock it in and get the cheapest possible price.

Any Direct purchase of some of these items or services are also welcome – please DM me for direct payment details and I will add the in-kind value to the raised tally.

What does the total cost need to cover?

1. up to $1800 - depending on how early I can book.

Two return flights including legroom (195cm me) on Virgin (not flying Qantas Group as they hate people with disability, and will lose critical medical equipment) from BNE-ADL via (Early April for pre-operative assessment; then April 25ish for the operation. Return needs to be flexible fare depending on recovery progress)

2. $1000 - if I cannot negotiate in-kind

2 months of short-term Rent/Board costs as I have to pay my home rent whilst I am away. This will include the costs I need to contribute for medical cooling as my entire abdominal skin will be resectioned, leaving me without sweat ability for up to six weeks.

3. (A previous costing of this included the $2000 towards the hire of an electric hospital bed. I have been advised by my surgeon today that this will no longer be necessary as I will not be needing abdominal muscle plication – thankfully. Yay!)

4. $1600

10 sessions of intensive Pre and Post-operative lymphatic drainage treatment – this is absolutely critical or I will not survive the surgery, nor make a recovery to qualify for my LVA surgery. I cannot find a provider at this stage who is willing to bulk bill or accept a Medicare Enhanced Primary Care package in Queensland.

5. $640

Intensive rehabilitation physio not included in surgical care package. ( 4 x 90 minute sessions at $160 each)

6. $580

Post-surgical compression binders x3

7. $500 Dressings, post-operative pain relief and infection control for six weeks (not including the amount given by hospital)

8. $140

Hire of post-surgical drain pump. (Might be RAH supplied, but they are not sure and I need to be prepared)

9. $300

Ground Transport to and from medical and rehab appointments during the acute recovery phase.

10. $1200 – Emergency overrun contingency funding

Most of these specific items can be paid directly to the suppliers if you wish to choose this instead but will need to be paid in full. Please DM me here for details.

I have other methods of direct donations if you do not wish to use this platform. Again, please DM me for details. But please be aware, the only platform guarantees are available through the use of the platform that you see this fundraiser on. If you need to check bona-fides if you see this email on an alternative platform, please go to my website manukoreri.net and check the contact details there.

Over the next few weeks, I also will be uploading a portfolio of my best landscape, environmental and protest photography over the years, and I will be selling canvas prints too. I will update this at my twitter.com/manukoreri

Any assistance you can provide will be gratefully received and paid forward with good health and love.

With hope, justice and love always,

Nick Chesterfield

[email redacted]