Fifteen year old Danielle Goodridge has had an horrendous last year.
The teenager who was born on the Island but now lives in Farnham became unwell in January last year and hasn’t recovered since.
After 12 months of tests, investigations and treatment from several hospitals she was finally diagnosed with a condition called Gastroparesis.
The simple explanation is that her stomach has become paralysed and she’s not able to digest any food or drink. This causes her to vomit up to 50 times a day and she is now having to be fed through a tube.
On and off heart monitors
She’s lost huge amounts of weight, hair and says her potassium levels are so low that she’s continuously on and off heart monitors.
There is a lifeline for Danni and that is an operation to fit a pacemaker into her stomach.
It’s proven to relieve the symptoms, and although not a permanent cure, will drastically improve her quality of life.
Not always funded by the NHS
Danni says, “This is a very rare procedure and is not always funded by the NHS. Meaning that funding has to be applied for and then dates for surgery agreed. This can be a very long process and I may not have that much time.
“The Pioneering surgery to fit me with a ‘bionic stomach’ is needed immediately, and therefore through my family, friends I am now trying to raise £20,000 for this operation, plus additional funds for aftercare and any future replacement devices.”
If you can spare anything to help Danni’s cause please visit her website to make your donation and find out more.
We wish Danni the very best and hope that a solution is found to her problem soon so she can get back to living the life of a normal teenager.
