Good Morning Angels: The Angels assist 12-year-old Abbygayle
The Angels come together to help 12-year-old Abbygayle du Plessis to stand tall again and pain-free!
BACKGROUND: 12-year-old Abbygayle du Plessis is a diligent Grade 7 student. She is the eldest of two daughters to a single mom, Lia, who also looks after her mom, without any other financial assistance. Despite their situation, Abbygayle is a happy, hard-working girl, who has been a dancer for most of her young life - spending up to 10 hours a day dancing. However, this all changed a year and a half ago, when Abbygayle started to experience severe back pain. Lia took her for a check-up and they were shocked by the diagnosis - Abbygayle had scoliosis - which means her spine is crooked. In a matter of a year, her spine resembles an -s-shape with a 63% curve at the top and 55% at the bottom. Her curving spine is now causing pressure on her internal organs, which leaves Abbygayle in pain, struggling to breathe and suffering constant nausea. There is no dancing anymore and she even struggles to do homework and study. Lia cannot afford medical aid and while Abbygayle’s spine can be corrected, the cost of an operation like this in private care is at least R500,000! Our friends at Operation Healing Hands have been able to get sponsorships and fee reductions to the value of R350,000 - but Lia still has to come up with R150,000 to make Abbygayle’s operation a reality. The surgery has been booked for 20 July and the time to raise the outstanding funds is running out. Lia has managed to raise R10,000 so far - and that’s why she reached out to Good Morning Angels.
Watch the full Good Morning Angels here:
REQUEST FOR: 12-year-old Abbygayle du Plessis from Pretoria
REQUEST FROM: Abbygayle’s mom, Lia Pauley
ANGEL 1: Operation Healing Hands and a fleet of medical Angel sponsors
SPONSORING: Operation Healing Hands is supported by top surgeons, medical practitioners, and medical suppliers - who offer their time, skills, and products free of charge to patients who cannot afford treatment.
- One of these specialists and his team will do Abbygayle’s surgery and treatment free of charge.
- Wilgers Hospital has offered the team a vastly reduced rate for the costly theatre time and after-care accommodation.
- Vertice MedTech will supply the Internal prostheses needed, free of charge.
- Untamed Medical Technologies will supply all the Neuro monitoring needles free of charge.
- This is a total sponsorship of R350,000 towards Abbygayle’s operation!
ANGEL 2: Anneke Coetzer representing the Caring Daisies
SPONSORING: The Caring Daisies will assist Abbygayle and Lia with a whopping R100,000 towards the outstanding fees for her surgery!
ANGEL 3: The Good Morning Angels Fund NPC
SPONSORING: The Good Morning Angels Fund will add the remaining R40,000 needed to make Abbygayle’s operation a reality!
ORIGINAL REQUEST:
I am Abbygayle du Plessis’s mother. She was diagnosed in January 2021, at the age of 11, with 43 degrees of scoliosis. She only complained of severe back pain. She was then referred to a spinal orthopaedic surgeon. We did everything we could to try to stop the curve from growing. She was dancing 10+ hours a week and went for physiotherapy.
After a year she went for x-rays as we could see deformities starting to show, x-rays confirmed her back is now an S scoliosis with 63 degrees and 55 degrees. She is now pulling crookedly and her back is pressing her organs. She is short of breath, nauseous, in constant pain, and barely eats. The doctor confirmed that her organs cannot keep this up and she needs a scoliosis procedure urgently.
Unfortunately, as a single mom of two beautiful girls, I am unable to pay for this procedure. The doctor and his team are trying to assist me, but the cost of this procedure is just too high. Abby is only 12 years old and has given up her dream to be a dancer, she is trying to be brave but most days it is a battle for her just to get out of bed. She is now moving only if she needs to, giving up on her dreams or even just playing around like any other girl her age.
Thank you for your consideration,
Lia
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