Help Rhiannon Walk Again

Hey, I'm Rhiannon, I'm 26 years old and currently in a wheelchair. I am raising funds to help me on my journey of learning to walk again.

Here is my story:

In November 2008, I suffered a slipped upper femoral epiphysis (SUFE for short) a rare condition in children where the ball of the hip slips completely off the growth plate on the thighbone. This led to me being unable to walk.

The surgeons pinned my hip but have been in and out of hospital for 15 years with hip pain.

In the new year of 2021, I was referred back to the hospital as the pain was increasing in both hips, both knees and back.

I was advised it was inflammation of the bursa sacks only (fluid in your hip that acts as a cushion) and that my xray and MRI scans look normal. My hips were injected with steroids.

Despite complaining of constant pain after these injections, they advised nothing more could be done and I was eventually discharged in 2022.

Over 2022, I could not work full time hours, even in an office, due to my inability to handle the pain and quite frankly struggled to get out of bed or stand on my legs for more than 2 minutes.

Fast forward to February 2023 where I suffered a complete kneecap dislocation.

They stuck to their original diagnosis of Burstitis until i begged and cried for them to do more tests.

I was sent for a CT scan and the results of this were astounding and I had been completely misdiagnosed for 2 years.

The results identified that my alignment and rotation of both hips were completely abnormal, leg length differences, both knees completely abnormal along with a ruptured MPFL ligament, bilateral trochlear dysplasia (both kneecaps can dislocate on their own), bilateral patella tilt (both kneecaps are tilted), and excessive TT-TG distance (too much distance between my shin bone and kneecap).

I have been referred to a specialist orthopaedic hosptal but it is looking as though to go private for all surgeries will cost in and around 60k. This would be the difference of getting fixed within 6 months as opposed to 3+ years on the NHS.

I am making this go fund me page to support me through this journey of trying to walk again. I am in a wheelchair and use crutches around the home but am unable to be inside/outside unassisted. Personal care needs are done by my family, I cannot drive and i have lost all sense of independence.

The money raised on this page will go towards helping me have a better quality of life, towards any private medical care for consultations/operations, daily living expenses, things to help my mental health and mobility aids.

Please follow my journey on tiktok: @rhiannonpilczek

Thankyou for reading :)