Let's fix Rach's Heart!

I'm Kat and I've known Rach since high school.

Rach needs heart surgery. She has a 3mm hole in her heart and it needs fixing NOW. Medicare deem this surgery "cosmetic" because her condition hasn't caused her a stroke - yet. Their solution? Wait until it causes a stroke, or pay for private health insurance.

But there's more. Rach has 2 shattered shoulders; the result of a devastating seizure. She requires multiple surgeries to reconstruct these before she has a chance of working full time. Until then, she relies on casual work and Centrelink allowances.

Rach also has a condition called Lipodema. It means her body has a strange habit of growing excess fat cells in her arms and legs. No matter how much someone with Lipodema diets or exercises, fat cells grow out of control, much like a cancerous tumour.

Rach needs multiple surgeries to remove the out-of-control tissue - and soon. The pain, strain on her organs and physical exhaustion are already debilitating. Left unchecked, she also risks infection, ulceration and loss of mobility.

Unfortunately, until her heart defect is corrected, Rach can not have the Lipodema surgeries.

Rach is an absolutely amazing human. Despite her pain she still works supporting others with disabilities. She advocates for those with Lipodema, hoping to bring the condition into the light.

I'd like to bring her back out into the light. Rach performed with Beenleigh Theatre Company for 20+ years before her declining health made it impossible. She achieved excellence at university and was developing a successful career. Help her reclaim her life.

Please. Do what you can to help this amazing woman live her life again. Help Rach get past this heart surgery hurdle and begin her path to recovery. $25k will pay for the surgical cost of her heart repair and set her on the path to her Lipodema surgeries, relieving her pain and bringing back her freedom, vitality and future.