Fight with Fiona

Almost four years ago, 2 weeks after turning 18 and celebrating the final days of her schooling, Fiona's life took an unexpected turn. A turn that would alter her life forever and consequently send a tsunami of change throughout her family.

Growing up as a quiet, loving daughter and sister to 4 siblings, she unknowingly was born with a Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM). When an AVM occurs, a tangle of blood vessels in the brain, or on its surface, bypasses normal brain tissue and directly diverts blood from the arteries to the vein. Less than 1% of the population have AVM, with around 50% with this condition suffering a haemorrhage like Fiona.

From the minute Fiona's journey in life changed, her family has been by her side through hours of brain surgery, weeks of induced and non-induced comas in Intensive Care, months of continual appointments with medical professionals, over a year in hospital, all contributing to a slow rehabilitation process.

This has been a financial challenge for Fiona's family in many ways, with government grants and support schemes assisting but falling well short of the cost to provide Fiona with ongoing multiple rehabilitation services that are key to her enjoying her life to her fullest.

Requiring full time care, each day is a challenge involving feeding through a PEG tube to her stomach, staying healthy against sickness, transportation and amongst so many more things, memory loss and communication.

Although faced with these challenges and the difficulty to clearly communicate, words are starting to flow and her smile, wit and love embraced by all near. A hug from Fiona is truly a gift from above!

Any donations to assist Fiona would be graciously received and used towards existing and new rehabilitation services that the family knows will keep Fiona's sights set on the stars."

Donations will be used for extra sessions of EP ( exercise physiology ) and will give her family financial freedom to seek out and use any new services which will benefit Fiona.