I sent my husband a Whats App message during the morning, mentioning I felt tired and needed a walk in the sunshine. He offered to meet me for a coffee at lunchtime and duly arrived, meeting me with bare arms in the warmth of early Spring sunshine.
We wandered to the Cathedral Refectory, conveniently located a short distance away, both it and my place of work being located in the grounds of Norwich Cathedral. We enjoyed a drink and each chose a slice of home-baked cake which we hungrily devoured. Feeling stifled, I suggested a walk in the Cathedral Close. The infinite blue sky offered a vibrant backdrop for the cathedral, resplendent in its majesty. We are humbled to be afforded the enjoyment of witnessing such beauty during our midday break.
I was reminded of a story one of my friends from dancing had drawn my attention to while we were at Ceroc last night. The local news yesterday evening had shared the story of a young lady who is very sick and needs help to raise over £300,000 just to give her the chance of surgery to relieve and, indeed, save her. One of the conditions she is seeking help with, is a condition my own son suffered with and had subsequent surgery for, just four years ago. The condition is known as Chiari Malformation which is neurological disorder whereby the lower part of the brain is pushed down from the skull and interferes with the spinal cord. In short, it gets in the way of fluids needing to make their way past and the pressure on the base of the brain results in a number of painful and debilitating neurological problems.
The surgery required is called decompression and is normally available, as it was to my own son, on the NHS in hospitals such as Addenbrookes. The lady, Sarah Jackson, has other related conditions which prevent even the experts in the UK from attempting the surgeries she requires and she has to see one of the top specialists in the world who is based in America. He can operate and give her the best chance of a normal life but she needs to raise around £300,000 for that and the other costs such as flights, scans, etc. This all has to be raised within two months which will not be easy.
I found her ‘gofundme’ page online and on Facebook and researched her story further. If only I could win the lottery – this lady would be high on my list of those I would wish to help. So far, just over £14,000 of the £300,000 has been raised and I felt I would dedicate today’s blog post to sharing her cause in the hope that those who have a few spare pounds could click on the link and donate whatever they can.
If you can help by donating or even if you could just share this blog post or the relevant links below, you could just be helping to give this young lady her life back. A life she cannot remember as normal. Surly she deserves the chance to walk out at midday and see similar sights to those I have had the privilege of seeing today?
Sarah’s ‘Go Fund Me’ page can be found here: https://www.gofundme.com/slsnbs
Sarah’s Twitter page can be found here: https://twitter.com/LifeForSarah
Writing and Rhythm 