Support Paris as she faces life saving surgery

An update on Paris and her journey to re-gain her health (as written by her mum Karen).

We got the call on Friday and we are going to Melbourne Thursday for Paris to have life saving surgery on the 24th of July.

She has CTEPH and right Ventricular Failure.

She has to have a Pulmonary Thromboendarterectomy

It is a complex and highly-skilled surgical operation in which the blood vessels of the lungs are cleared of the clot and scar material and often takes up to 10 hours.

They need to drain all the blood out of her body to allow the surgical team to see enough to clear the clots. This can only be achieved by cooling her body to 20°C - almost half the normal body temperature - to prevent damage to vital organs, including the brain.

This is achieved by attaching Paris to a heart-lung bypass machine, which is operated by perfusionists. The blood exits her body, enters the bypass machine where it is cooled, and then returns in a circuit; it's this cold blood that cools her down.

Once her body reaches a suitable temperature, all the blood is removed from her body through bypass (technical cardiac arrest or suspended animation) to create a bloodless field, and the heart-lung machine turned off for up to 20 minutes. This allows the surgeon to begin clearing the clots and CTEPH disease from the lining of the pulmonary artery, but once the 20-minute limit has been reached the bypass machine is then turned back on to re-perfused the body's organs with blood.

This process is then repeated to remove the clots and scarring from the other lung. This is safest way to perform this operation, but the heart-lung machine can only be switched off - and she will be in a state of suspended animation - for a maximum of 60 minutes.

Meanwhile, the anaesthetic team monitor oxygen levels in the brain, which is cooled using a device that wraps around her head. The surgery is demanding because it is technically very difficult to get access to the arteries of the lungs and the procedure itself is a major undertaking.

Following the surgery Paris will be in ICU on life support for up-to a week

We have also found out that Paris has 6 times the pressure in her heart and Lungs than most people that have this surgery which makes the surgery a higher risk. We are hoping this works or she will have to stay on life support until she can have a double lung transplant.

I am absolutely heartbroken and scared beyond words. I still can’t believe this is happening to my beautiful girl .

Thank you to everyone that has been a constant support.

Imagine your vibrant, healthy and successful 19-year-old daughter heads off to New York on the trip of a lifetime…only to become critically ill on the other side of the world.

This has been the reality for our dear friend Karen and her beautiful daughter Paris.

Paris fell ill during her travels in New York and visited a doctor. Within hours she was rushed into ICU in critical condition before being diagnosed with severe pulmonary embolisms and pulmonary hypertension.

After weeks in hospital in New York, Paris was medically escorted home - and has since spent months in and out of multiple hospitals, fighting for her life with her condition worsening.

The family has been left with limited options for Paris to recover and have a chance at life.

Paris needs her mum now more than ever – but as a self-employed single mum, Karen has been forced to continue working in her hair salon to pay the growing bills instead of being by her daughter’s side.

Karen is the most generous, kind and wonderful human you could hope to meet, always the first to jump in and help anyone, anytime. She would give you the shirt from her own back to help – and she lives and breathes for her three incredible daughters.

Over the years Karen has been there for family, friends and even strangers whenever they have needed her. Now is our chance to give back and support Karen to take some time off work so she can focus on her family, herself and her precious daughter.