Ellenborough mum, Casey Lewis, is raising funds for an operation to help her be a normal mother again.
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The 35-year-old needs a cervical and lumbar fusion, after being diagnosed with Chiari malformation. It’s a condition in which brain tissue extends into your spinal canal. The goal of surgery is to stop the progression of changes in the anatomy of the brain and spinal canal, as well as ease and stabilize symptoms.
Casey had a brain and spinal operation last May when she and her husband and daughter Macayla, now 12, and nine-year-old Cobi were living in Toowoomba. Now they have moved to Ellenborough to be near Casey’s father, Michael Flanagan who lives in Kindee.
Casey wants to be able to give as much of her time and energy to her family as she used to.
“Although the pain was debilitating before, I was able to have a certain quality of life. I worked full-time and had enough energy to convey kids to and from soccer and netball,” said Casey.
“I just want to be a normal mum and be physically capable of working at least part-time, to not be in so much pain that at the end of each day, I cry, and count down the minutes until my kids go to bed, so they don’t have to see my in pain.”
Casey has a GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme.com/6c1qs60
She has raised $4,000 of her $25,000 goal to pay for the costs associated with the two surgeries for a neck and lumbar fusion to keep her stable and prevent paralysis and hopefully reduce her pain.
Professor Kevin Seex will carry out the surgery this month at Macquarie University Hospital today, Friday, January 17 and family members have lent Casey most of the money she still needs.