Katie's comeback fund for medical equipment and rehab

Hi. Katie's family and friends have started this fundraising page because she is in acute need of medical equipment. A Cavernoma-related bleed on her brain has left her with loss of feeling in her legs as well as severely reduced overall mobility This latest event will also require a more intensive period of rehabilitation than expected to get her back on track, and back in all our lives.

The donations so far have been a testament to the love that people feel for Katie, not least her partner Jamie:

"Frankly my woman amazes me. For someone effectively living with a time bomb in her head, she is pretty darn special. Queenie has come back from a series of bleeds deep in her brain over the years. They cannot be operated on. Life in one sense stops and long months of rehab take over, yet she always remains funny, caring, always thinking about others and continually supporting her amazing family and friends.

She won’t thank me for this, but I see the amount of sheer effort, willpower and quiet determination it requires for Queenie to live & work. If living with cavernomas is unpredictable, one thing I can be certain of is her resilience. I know I’m bigging her up; don’t just take my word for it. Here is how her friends and neighbours describe Queenie. To show how much she is loved deeply - not just by me - but by many many people.

Fabulous, Funny as f*ck, Endlessly caring, Delightfully obstreperous, Sexy, Legend, Compassionate, Indomitable, Loyal

Mischievous, Generous, Inspirational, Sunbeam, Supportive

Please give Queenie some support at a time when she really needs it.

Now I am going to stop as she will get big-headed. Being disabled doesn’t also stop her from also being a complete nightmare at times."

For those who know her, Katie (or 'Queenie, 'Queens', 'Q-Tip' or 'Babe' as she's known to various parties) has dealt with episodes and events like this before with pragmatism, good grace and tenacity, but this one is perhaps her toughest challenge yet.

The money raised will primarily be used on specialist equipment to modify her car and bedroom to remain mobile, rest and sleep effectively, as well as spend some time at a dedicated and specialist rehabilitation centre in West Sussex for those with neurological and mobility issues.

All of this will help Queenie maintain a life of independence and return to her occupational therapist role, ensuring older people with dementia and their carers continue to lead meaningful lives.

How the donations will be used:

• A profiling height adjustable bed: £6–10k — Kate is going home with a hospital bed but this adjustable bed would enable her to sleep back in her bedroom

• Transfer swivel chair to get in and out of car: £3.5k — This will mean Kate can continue to get to work, and drive around UK and Europe.

• Rehabilitation: £Uknown — Funding can be applied for and sourced, but accommodation nearby still needs to be found to attend.

To her University friends who have known her through the decades, Queenie is one in a million – someone who is always happy to lend an ear and offer wise words without judgement delivered from the heart, and never a word of complaint. This time it's our turn to help her out.

Queenie also wants to make a return to singing with the Some Voices choir and hanging out with her treasured choir mates, which is such an important part of her life.

Please donate today and help Queenie return to a better version of her everyday life, and to enable her see more of her friends and family once again.

Here, two of Queenie's long-time schoolfriends, Giselle Cook (née Anderson) and Kate Heady (née Scarfe) give their take on why she's such an awesome lass that deserves all our help.

"Our friend Queenie

Katie is one of the most resilient, and optimistic people we know. When we were young, before Cavernoma dealt its first blow, Katie loved to dance (we were great disco dancers, or so we thought.) She was also great at sport, and a good hockey and netball player. We did all the normal teenage girl stuff in the 80s, music, make up, boys and going out, it was a pretty brilliant time to be growing up and we had so much fun. Then one New Year’s Eve it all changed for Katie: she had a bad headache and felt too unwell to come to the New Year’s Party we had arranged. She really must have been ill to miss a party (that girl loved to party).

Not long after, Katie suffered her first Cavernoma-induced stroke. It was devastating to see the suffering Katie and her family were enduring. But endure she did. Months were spent in hospital, operation rooms and rehab, before she was home and learning to walk again. Pretty amazing stuff for a slip of a 15 year old girl.

This has been a repeating pattern throughout her life. Her resilience astounds us all. She gets back on her feet, then Cavernoma deals another blow to her. Again and again we have seen her fight and claw her life back. We are in awe of her for this.

She has built a good life, trained for a good job (which she is awesome at), helping others through being a kick-arse OT. She is one of the best cooks we know (although a total food snob!) and she loves living in Crouch End with her friends and local community, attending music gigs, the theatre and singing in her beloved choir. All these things light our friend up. This is the least she deserves.

She now needs our help to be able to keep living in her own home, and purchase the equipment that will help her to do this. If we can help her to stay and be comfortable in the home she loves, with Jamie, her cats and her community she loves, we would have achieved something great. Katie is the kindest, funniest and bravest person we have the privilege to call our friend.

We will always be here for you Babe, and are with you every step of the way. G + K xx"