Donate to help Melissa live the life she deserves
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Hi, my name is Tonya Carew, and my friend Melissa Pierce needs your help.
Nineteen years ago, Melissa Pierce was a Queensland Police Officer serving the Longreach community and living her dream life with her husband and two small boys. Around the middle of the day on Saturday, 2 August 2003, Melissa had a nagging earache. Less than 48 hours later, Melissa was in an induced coma fighting for her life after suffering what was later discovered to be a herniated brain stem injury. Today, Melissa is a ventilated tetraplegic and has never recovered from this illness.
Over the past 19 years Melissa’s physical condition has continued to deteriorate, and she now requires constant care to manage seizures, severe osteoporosis and many other untreatable conditions. Melissa can move her mouth but not speak and is fed through a tube. Her only communication is via lip reading. Her brain function is normal, and she is capable of making her own decisions and holding a conversation – albeit through the assistance of her carers. Melissa’s only method of drawing attention to herself is via expelling air through her lips.
Imagine being fully cognisant of your surroundings and unable to interact with the everyday world. In the process, Melissa has watched her two boys grow into adults from the confines of her bed, and she has not been able to share their lives and milestones like other parents because of her condition.
Melissa needs your help. Her application for funding is due for review by the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Melissa needs to increase her funding package to assist with her continuing 24-hour care, including training and support for her carers and more appropriate treatment and consideration for her declining condition.
Melissa needs extensive care and has three medical monitors to keep her alive. She requires a ventilator to breathe, which a trained carer needs to operate. Her carers are required to do sterilised and emergency tracheostomy suction, mouth suctions, dispense medication, physically exercise every muscle and bone in her body every day to stop her from seizing, regulate her temperature, provide intimate personal care, lip read for her to communicate with everyone and much more.
Due to Melissa’s condition, she is immune compromised to pneumonia, UTIs, pseudomonas, cellulitis, allergies, seizures, vertigo, and she has an autoimmune disease. Melissa is regularly admitted to Redcliffe hospital’s ICU ward; however, she still needs carers to monitor the life support machines that are specific to her needs and communicate via lip reading.
Melissa’s application for increased funding which NDIS has rejected is due to be heard by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal next Friday, 12 August 2022, and she has no legal representation to assist. Melissa wants the matter to proceed, and she needs your help to raise money to fund appropriate legal and advocacy representation, advice and support.
The money raised will be managed by Melissa’s mother Dianne Cree as she is Melissa’s Power of Attorney. Dianne commitment to Melissa is unwavering.
Find out more about Melissa here:
Organizer and beneficiary
Tonya Carew
Organizer
Rothwell, QLD
Melissa Pierce
Beneficiary