Help Rach to get Reconstructive Knee ACL Surgery

Hi everyone, my name is Mike and I am fundraising for my girlfriend Rachel Luiten. Rachel has recently had the misfortune of dislocating her knee whilst playing for Caradon in a tournament at the start of the new hockey season. Sadly the damage wasn't as per her first diagnosis, and the extent of injury has resulted in her fully rupturing her Anterior Cruciate Ligament in the left knee.

 

I can vouch first-hand that it is a super painful and frustrating injury to combat; it left me very isolated, alone and unable to work for a long time after. It involves lengthy rehabilitation before and after surgery and requires alot to fully recover. Unlike myself at the time, Rach doesn't have the luxury of paid sick leave due to illness, nor private healthcare. The current NHS waiting time for this surgery is approx 18 months plus. This waiting time is likely to impair a full recovery, along with it's mental and wellbeing concerns. The decision to go private, has and will be an expensive but necessary decision so Rach can have the best chances to recover with minimal impact to her current and future life course.

 

I have been with Rach for nearly two years and learnt in a short time that she's a super loving, caring and generous individual whom rarely puts her own needs in place of others. She loves being fit and active and struggles at the best of times to sit and do nothing, of which I am more accustomed. And most difficult of all, fiercely independent.

 

Her main passion in life, second to being supermum to her 5 year old son, is being a Dance teacher to her students. After investing heavily into her own dance education early on, Rach found ultimate enjoyment and fulfillment in helping to inspire and support young people through dance classes. For over 11 years, she has been working with Ballaré School of Performing Arts. Needless to say, this is a huge part of her life which she is desperately missing!

 

Prior to the injury, and as for most, the Covid-19 situation has heavily hampered the opportunies to teach, and work her other part-time job. And now the frustration sadly continues. Physically and socially, playing hockey was also her release and detachment from a series of challenges. It was something she was soooo looking forward to this season. Living in the countryside and being unable to drive has had an impact on the usual freedoms also.

 

She is such an inspiration to me and I can't help but feel that it's her turn for the universe to give her a break. And so through this wonderful platform, I thought it might offer the opportunity to many that know her, or even those who dont; to help support Rach, however little or large. I know it would mean the world to her to get back to something close to 'normal' and as quickly as possible. So that she can carry on giving to others, as she enjoys to do.

 

Thank you for reading and your time.

Mike