Folks, This is for those of you in a position to help. Mervyn ------------------------------------------- >From the GOA - Toronto Tara is my vibrant 18 year old, who has just started studying biochemistry at the University of Waterloo. She was born with a paralyzed left hand as a result of delivery trauma and at age one, we brought her to Canada to undergo a surgery to restore mobility to her hand. We immigrated to Canada in 2002. In 2007 at age nine, fate dealt her a tragic blow in the form of Flesh eating disease (Necrotizing fasciitis). Unfortunately, the disease was diagnosed very late resulting in her losing her left leg with a high above knee amputation. Initial prognosis indicated she would not walk unassisted but Tara’s determination and the encouragement from family and friends and support from the Holland Bloorview Rehab Centre saw Tara walking in a few short months. The nature of the amputation resulted in an uncomfortable fit of the artificial limb which meant frequent adjustments and changes. The Prosthetist has worked zealously with Tara trialing various sockets and means of suspension and each time they thought they were finding a solution only to fail a few months later. This frequent discomfort and difficulties has not quelled Tara’s competitive spirit. In fact it has only strengthened her resolve to overcome her struggles to meet the world on even terms. Tara has grown to become a competitive swimmer, she ski’s in the winter and goes camping & canoeing in the summer, like every teenager with a zest for life. Despite the immobility of the left hand she has learned to play the piano and guitar, and has even knitted and crocheted hats and scarves to fund her own summer camp. Her achievements include. * Canadian record holder in the 200 m butterfly – Para – S6 class * Para PanAm games 2015 tryouts and Paralympic 2016 tryouts for swimming. * Canada Cord (highest award in Girl Guides). * Duke of Ed Award – Gold * Mayor’s award for her contribution to the War Amps of Canada * Successfully completed the IB diploma and was in Deca (business club), IB Ensemble and Model UN, besides being a competitive swimmer and swimming five to seven times a week for two to three hours each session. In the last year and a half, she has been having a string of difficulties with her prosthetic limb. The socket of the limb does not fit comfortably because the stump is too short and of irregular shape. This has resulted in calluses and sores on the stump that sometimes bleed. The fit of the prosthetic limb has other complications and recently she has had a few falls, confining her to a wheel chair and often to her room on campus. It has impacted her self-esteem, confidence and determination. Last summer Tara visited Australia to consult with a surgeon, Dr. Munjed Al Muderis. He is an orthopedic surgeon specialising in hip, knee, and trauma, and osseointegration surgery. Osseointegration is a surgery where a rod is implanted into the bone and the prosthetic is fitted on to the rod very similar to a dental implant. During the consultation we also discovered Tara’s leg bone (femur) was only eight cm which may not provide a stable long term platform for osseointegration. Dr. Al Muderis recommended a bone lengthening procedure followed by the osseointegration. This procedure will increase her bone length allowing for the second procedure. These surgeries are not offered in Canada. We had put in an application to the Canadian Government for funding but our application was declined because they consider the bone lengthening surgery experimental (only eight have been done in the world). The cost of the Surgeries are Bone lengthening with the Precice nail -$AU 73,000 Osseointegration – $AU 117,000 We have decided to go ahead with the bone lengthening surgery, as we are confident that this would change her life and give Tara a chance to live independently as an adult. The bone lengthening surgery has been fixed for the 19th of January, 2017 in Sydney, Australia. The 90 – day bone lengthening process starts in Australia and will be continued in Canada. After the bone lengthening process, there will be a six month to a year consolidation time for the lengthened bone to harden before proceeding with the osseointegration surgery. We appeal to your generosity and would greatly appreciate any financial assistance to help fund these surgeries. No amount is too small. If the surgeries are successful and we have full faith they will be, Tara will once more strive to be a normal adult with a dignified life and her smile will light up all our lives knowing it would not have been possible without your help.
| | | Tara Surgery Appeal Tara is my vibrant 18 year old, who has just started studying biochemistry at the University of Waterloo. She wa... | | | Tara Surgery Appeal
