The Danielle Goodridge appeal

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Christopher
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Joined in 2008
Location: Cambridge

PostThe Danielle Goodridge appeal
by Christopher » Wed Jan 11, 2012 10:12 pm

Hey guys, a member on the forum brought this to my attention as it's something close to home for him.

So have a read and see if feel like helping out.

Hello,

My Names Danielle Goodridge and I'm 15 years old. Originally I'm from the Isle of Wight but I now live in Farnham. I live with my Mum, Dad and older brother Tom. I also have a big sister Emma-Leigh.

Up until the age of 14 I was never ill, it was always everyone else! But on 21st January 2011 I came down with a sickness bug, or so I thought - I could not keep anything down. After a few days I went to the doctors and ended up in hospital, everyone thought I had a virus. But weeks passed, months, and now a year and I haven't stopped vomiting. Everything I eat and everything I drink comes back up, I can be sick up to 50 times a day. As you can Imagine iIve lost a lot of weight.

I have had to deal with a lot of comments and bullying over my weight, people assuming I have an eating disorder. The doctors didn't know what was going on, I had no diagnosis, I couldnt tell people what was wrong with me, no-one knew. No medication worked, no special diet, what was I supposed to do? Not eat?

Over the past year I have been in and out of hospitals constantly, all over the country. Frimley Park Hospital, Aintree Hospital and Great Ormand Street Childrens Hospital. Backwards and forwards, no-one understood what was happening or why it was happening. I am badly dehydrated, malnourished and was loosing dangerous amounts of weight. In this time I was given many different anti sickness medications and also had to undergo many investigations including CT, MRI, Endoscopies, Ultrasound Scans and the passing of NG & NJ Tubes.

I thought it was never going to stop. One day my Mum came across an article in the Daily Mail 'My stomachs paralysed' - as I read through this article I thought 'that's me!'. We contacted the girl and she was very helpful, she gave us the name of a doctor in Liverpool and we went to see him. She has Gastroparesis (delayed emptying of the stomach), and so do I! My stomach has now become paralysed and I am not able to digest food or drink.

I had to be fed several times via NJ feeding tubes down into the lower bowel. The consultants explained that my chances of recovery were slim and options for treatment included only a permanent feeding tube. I didn't want to be fed by tube forever.

But the girl from the article had a pacemaker fitted in her stomach. The pacemaker is implanted under the skin, with wires going down into the muscle walls of the stomach. I was told in January 2012 that I have a diagnosis, and I can have a pacemaker fitted. I will never be able to thank her enough for telling others about her illness, if she hadn't, I'd still be undiagnosed. Hopefully, when I start to eat gastric activity will prompt the pacemaker to send a small electrical impulse to the muscles and the gut will contract, helping the stomach to move the food along the gut.

But the procedure is not a cure, it is only seen as possible management of my symptoms, but if it helps reduce sickness it could transform my life.

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.

Gastroparesis causes me to vomit continuously. This has resulted in me losing, my hair, and a lot of weight to date. I cannot digest any solid or liquid food, and my weight is continuing to drop. My Pottasium levels are so low I am continuously on and off heart monitors and potassium drips to prevent my heart from failing, some days I don't even have the energy to get out of bed.

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 £22,000 for this operation, plus additional funds for aftercare and any future replacement devices.

Thank you for reading my story, any help you can give will be greatly appreciated.

Love

Danielle Goodridge


Link to the website about it: http://www.thedanniegoodridgefund.co.uk

Link to BBC article about it: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-16515485

Link to an article about it on something called ventnorblog (local site) http://ventnorblog.com/2012/01/10/danielle-goodridge-can-you-help-her-cause/#more-94770

Donation Link: http://www.thedanniegoodridgefund.co.uk/donations.html

Suzzopher xx

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Mommy Christmas
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Joined in 2009

PostRe: The Danielle Goodridge appeal
by Mommy Christmas » Thu Jan 12, 2012 11:44 pm

How does this lass (harrowing that her disorder is) differ from other people with this condition? Is she a family member of a forumite?
Stuff like this pulls at my heart strings but I'm not sure I can keep on donating to every appeal that appears on the forum.
Hope I don't sound cold.

:dread:
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Steve
Member
Joined in 2008

PostRe: The Danielle Goodridge appeal
by Steve » Mon Jan 16, 2012 3:19 pm

I don't see any harm in posting appeal threads, even if we can help with just a small amount, it's better than nothing.

I'd just recommend we make a temporary sticky thread for the cause rather than an announcement.

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Christopher
Emeritus
Joined in 2008
Location: Cambridge

PostRe: The Danielle Goodridge appeal
by Christopher » Fri Jan 20, 2012 12:46 pm

Donations are now over 4 grand :D

Thanks to everyone who has donated so far :wub:


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