HELP BELLA GET LIFE CHANGING SURGERY
Spende geschützt
**Prayers and donations are needed for Isabella Williams**
My name is Carrie, the mother of Isabella and I’m reaching out asking for your help so that I can get my daughter the life-changing surgery she needs in Barcelona Spain.
Bella has been diagnosed with a rare brain condition called Arnold-Chiari Malformation 1. It is a condition in which the lower portion of the brain (cerebellar tonsils) descends into the spinal canal causing restricted flow of cerebrospinal fluid between the head and the spinal cord. There is no cure for Chiari Malformation and it is a progressive, degenerative disease that can cause a multitude of neurological issues.
Bella’s Struggle
Bella’s symptoms became active in September of 2022 and have steadily become worse. Her symptoms include constant and severe headaches, horrible neck pain, tingling, and numbness in her hands and feet. Balance and speech problems, tinnitus, photophobia, nausea, insomnia, brain fog, fainting spells and shortness of breath. A medical withdrawal from high-school and extra-curricular activities was necessary as she could no longer function with her chronic symptoms. She is missing shifts at work, nights out with friends, celebrations with family and all the experiences a 16 year old girl should be enjoying. She spends most of her time at home in bed, feeling sad. It breaks my heart that I cannot take away her pain.
In February of 2024, things became very alarming when she experienced a temporary loss of vision in her left eye. This would last anywhere from 30 seconds to a couple minutes and as her vision returned, she would develop a horrible headache at the base of her skull which would leave her bedridden for hours on end. We were referred to an ophthalmologist, Dr. Wesolosky, who ordered an emergency CT scan. Bella’s scan showed that she had low-lying cerebellar tonsils with a descent of 5mm which is linked to the diagnosis of Chiari Malformation 1. He then ordered an MRI of her brain which confirmed the diagnosis. He believed all her symptoms were related to this condition and urged us to seek the opinion of a pediatric neurosurgeon.
The surgery performed in Canada for patients with Chiari Malformation is brain decompression surgery. This is a painful and invasive surgery that does not come without complications. The
recovery is brutal and there is no guarantee that it will alleviate the symptoms. We started to prepare mentally for the surgery as it seemed that would be the only choice we had to treat Bella but that would not be the case. Sadly, after her diagnosis, we were met with the continuous narrative that Bella was not severe enough to be considered for brain decompression surgery. She was prescribed strong prescription medications that were not helping and was told that she would have to learn to live with her current symptoms until they progressed to a severity that would justify the surgery. Ultimately, we have been shrugged off left to search for answers on our own.
Our Hope in Spain
During these long months, I sought out support from people with the same diagnosis and similar experiences with specialists and after much prayer and research, we decided to pursue a less invasive surgery at the Institut Chiari & Siringomielia & Escoliosis de Barcelona. The Institute is renowned for its extensive research of Chiari Malformation by Dr Royo Salvadore and its thousands of successful surgeries on patients like Bella where it has proven to stop the progression altogether. Dr Salca of the Institute studied Bella’s MRI scans and met with us over Zoom for an in-depth consultation. He expressed that Bella’s condition is connected to Filum Disease which causes Chiari Malformation and concluded that she was an ideal candidate for the surgery performed at the Institute. This surgery is much less invasive, with a quicker recovery and most people experiencing instant relief of their symptoms. We have had the pleasure of being in contact with several patients here in Alberta, who underwent the procedure and are very inspired by their journeys and outcomes.
Bella has endured a lot of pain and suffering over the past year and has been dismissed by doctors in Canada. She is hopeful and excited about the chance to live pain-free and regain the mobility and mental function to participate in life again!
We will be heading to Barcelona on May 16 th of this year. Her physical evaluations and lab work will be done on May 19th,
followed by surgery on May 20th. A minimum of one-night stay in the hospital is required with a follow-up booked on May 30th . Hopefully, she will be cleared to travel 14 days after surgery.
Funds we must raise
- The cost of the surgery is $29,898
- Flights to Barcelona $3,000
- Airbnb Accommodations $2,084
- Private MRI scans $2,000
- Wage losses $3,000
- TOTAL GOAL: $39,982.00
It has been a parents worst nightmare to have to watch their child endure so much pain and suffering and be able to do so little to help them. I feel in my heart this is the solution for us.
Anything you can donate to help us with the costs would be a huge blessing and greatly appreciated by Bella and myself. To express her gratitude and appreciation, Bella has decided to share her love for music with everyone by sharing clips of her playing piano throughout her campaign.
Thank you for taking the time to read Bella’s story and we ask that you please share her GoFundMe with as many people as possible to keep her campaign circulating so we can reach our goal.
Thank you!
"To learn more about Chiari Malformation or if you wish to donate to raise awareness, please visit these links. Your involvement can make a difference in helping to increase understanding, support research, and improve the lives of those affected by this condition."
Organisator
Carrie Williams
Organisator
Linden, AB