06/10/2025
Dear friends & clients.
As you are aware, CJ Lawnscaping support the Ehlers-Danlos UK Support Foundation.
A friend of ours Melanie Hartshorn unfortunately suffers from this condition. She has shown great courage and determination to undergo several operations in the past and despite that she had recently qualified as a teacher which is her passion in life.
She has recently been advised that she requires further surgery, which will dramatically improve her life.
Unfortunately, her surgery is not funded by the NHS and as a result, she relies on fundraising to cover her medical bills, travel and accommodation.
If you can make even the smallest donation, share her posts, or raise awareness of this deabilitating condition, then we just ask that you take some time out to read her story. If you could make a donation then the relevant links are listed.
Thank you for your amazing support and we offer our best wishes to Melanie.
Thank you.
Good news and bad newsβ¦β¦
So I had my appointment this afternoon with the lovely thoracic surgeon who assisted in the big surgery I had 2years ago!
He said the good news is they can help surgically, and can take care of me and have a plan in place, which they could do in as soon as 2-3weeks timeβ¦. However itβs going to be expensive (thatβs the bad bit π)!
I have no money so I canβt do that without the funds. Why is it that my life always seems to depend on money these days?! π
Theyβre working to get a quote for me now ASAP but itβs going to be expensive as I need a minimum of 3 ribs (probably 4 or 5) fused at the back - to my spine.
This is why itβs complex, the surgery needs the thoracic surgeon (the one who assisted in my other surgery) and MY neurosurgeon Dr Gilete to assist. As one of the spinal rods needs replacing with a new one, that will be compatible with the rib fusion system.
This is so they can connect the rib fusion hardware for all of my unstable ribs, to the spinal rods I already have -in my thoracic spineβ¦. And this is why it needs to be done here, in Barcelona.
He said itβs important to have it done as soon as possible as theyβre so unstable (usually only seen in car crash victims!) that theyβre actually dislocating in all directions, when I simply breatheβ¦. The big risk is that more ribs will become unstable, if left like this for too longβ¦.!
The issue there is that, the more ribs you have to fuse, the more restricted my breathing would be, for the rest of my life- and the worse the surgical outcome would be.
So itβs really important to have it done ASAP for that vital reason, let alone the fact Iβm suffering immeasurably, with agonising pain just from breathingβ¦ which is triggering life threatening adrenal crisis constantly & proving impossible to manage.
My body simply canβt cope with the pain despite being maxed out on pain medications!
Iβm fighting crisis all the time and suffering all the symptoms including blood sugar drops (so low theyβre undetectable on the machine) before steroid doses.
As for my studies, Iβve started my PGCE & Iβve been watching my lectures from bed here despite being so unwell, but I may have to postpone or extend my studies if I canβt get surgery soon π’ as thereβs no way I can manage going into school whilst this unwell.
Iβm so worried Iβm going to have to come home, to fundraiseβ¦. and that too much time and damage will be done, and it will be too late.
If all my 3.4K followers could donate a tenner each, weβd be a huge chunk of the way there to pay for the surgery!
And if you canβt donate, please, please interact with my posts! Comment a π, like and share them all, tag peopleβ¦. help spread the word!
Itβs a free way to help and I appreciate it SO much!
Love & hugs,
From a very sad & desperate Mel
Thank you!
#πππ₯ππ§π’ππ¬ππ’π¬π¬π’π¨π§ππ¨ππ’π―ππ
Alternative ways to donate:
π https://gofund.me/b6fe4799
πhttps://www.melanies-mission-eds.org.uk/donate-now/
PayPal:
π https://www.paypal.com/pool/9hg3NBUuDn?sr=wccr
Or to [email protected] via PayPal friends and family!