Please Support Us - Help Me Remove My Brain Tumour

Thank you for taking the time to read my story.

We are The Sara's Hope Trust Ltd and I am Sara Pollard-Dambach - currently the first recipient of this fundraiser and founder of this newly registered Charitible Trust

Initially, we started this fundraiser so that I could have the surgery I so desperately needed to remove a calcified cystic tumour in my pineal gland. However, much like life it didn't go to plan!

Always the way eh?.

So my pineal cystic tumour first brought to our attention in 2023 is now 14.mm (last scanned in November 2024) and causing intermittent blockages to the aqueduct and Cerebral Spinal Fluid build-up. My doctors had also managed to pre date it back to when I was just 13 years old through medical records.

This diseased, and broken gland leaves me with a host of complicated and debilitating symptoms, that have a significant impact on my life. They include seizures, tics, loss of balance, loss of coordination, excruciating migraines, trigeminal neuralgia, tremors and chronic pain. As a result, I now require the use of a stick and wheelchair to get around, and sadly I'm unable to look after our two youngest children without significant help from my husband Oli, or eldest daughter Chloe.

Unfortunately due to its rarity and complexity, surgery is unavailable on the NHS. As a result many patients with this condition live with these debilitating symptoms. Isolated and alone.

There are, however, a handful of pioneering surgeons around the world who operate on such tumors, including my new surgeon in Prauge, Dr Beneŝ.

After many let downs in the UK of being placed on wait lists to have removal and then being told the UK funding has been cut so they could no longer give me the this life changing opperation, I like many others have no option but to go abroad and seek help from one of those who can and will help us.

Recently filmed on the BBC iplayer - Brain Opp The Controversy - by Mathew Hill - 3 members of our support group talked to the BBC and they highlighted our sorrows within this community, and their stories were portrayed beautifuly. It showed how around 1600 of us need the big 6 (thats the surgeons who give us life abroad), as all apart from Dr Santarius are abroad and his interview on our documentory reported over 90% of patiants who had removal of the gland helped them leave normal lives.

Therefore we are starting this fundraiser to cover costs of:

The opperation including security deposit

1 week hotel stay in city after opp.

Flights to and from UK to Prauge

Buffer/additional funds incase anything goes wrong.

(And having hit the 10k mark for me that is magical as it means in April this year I will now go under the knife... so thank you)

**All remaining money raised after my surgery and recovery period is complete will be donated back to the charity (The Sara's Hope Trust Ltd) to help other patients with pineal gland cysts and tumours causing debilitating symptoms live better lives in less pain.

We as a charitable trust will now be able to offer them money towards private appointments, scans, therapy and home help. As well as assistance with setting up their own fundraising pages and campaigns.

If you have any further questions about this fundraiser, please contact us and we will be happy to answer anything**

Any donation is gratefully received, and if you are unable to donate we would really appreciate you sharing this fundraiser. Thank you!

You can also read more about Sara and keep up to date with developments on our Facebook page The Sara's Hope Trust

So with that in consideration please dig deep and give what you can to our cause and remember to share if you cannot contribute financially.

Many Thanks

The Sara's Hope Trust