Help DP to get surgery and handle medical bills

Hi, my name is Dhawyne (said as DAWN) Parris and I’m a vibrant, active, adventurous, fun loving 40+ young woman…or at least I was until a very serious accident three years ago.

On April 26^th, 2014, I was one of 4 persons involved in a motor vehicular accident (front seat passenger) where the driver of a 10-tonne dump truck coming from the opposite direction lost control of his vehicle and crashed into our car. There was broken glass everywhere and the strong smell of burning rubber that permeated the air is still vivid in memory.Trapped in my seat belt for what seemed like eternity, I frantically tried using my arms to find my 11-year old daughter, to comfort her screams, as she was pitched from behind the driver’s seat and got wedged on the floor behind my seat. My daughter suffered lacerations about her face and head from all the broken glass and was bleeding profusely. My friend who drove was not seriously injured.I didn’t think I was either as my whole focus was on my child. The EMS transported us to hospital and along the way I lost consciousness which required me to be attended to more urgently as well.There wasn’t much pain at the time, but after being discharged, the pains and discomfort levels were significantly increased. I had to seek further medical attention.

After several doctor visits, tests, MRIs and lots of pain medications, I later learned that I sustained injuries to my right shoulder (from my frantic searching), cervical spine and lumbar spine.In addition, I was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Counselling sessions and treatment for PTSD was frequent and intense for the first six months following the accident and follow-up session continue on an intermittent basis as needed.The doctors referred me to physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and massage therapy, but I couldn’t benefit from the occupation or massage therapy because of the pain and discomfort.Living with pain 24/7 is unpleasant, debilitating, and depressing to say the least.

The worst part of all of this for me is that due to the injuries, pain, trauma, hand tremors, pins and needles feelings, tingling, odd sensations (rain falling on my hand, e.g.), my family life, work life and social life have been severely affected.According to spine_health.com, “The arm pain from a cervical herniated disc results because the herniated disc material “pinches” or presses on a cervical nerve, causing pain to radiate along the nerve pathway down the arm. Along with the arm pain, numbness and tingling can be present down the arm and into the fingertips. Muscle weakness may also be present”. Symptoms of a C3-C4 herniated disc may include neck pain, headache, numbness, tingling, weakness and possible loss of bowel or bladder control”. Of the aforementioned symptoms, I experience all except the bladder / bowel issues.The pain I live with affects the entire right half of my body.

It’s been three years and treatment for my injuries has reached to a point of surgery which is more expensive than imagined.The neurosurgeon is planning surgery to my cervical spine. The orthopaedic surgeon said surgery for my right shoulder is also needed.All of my savings and that of my immediate family have been depleted by the expenses of medication, tests, fees, transportation for doctor visits, doctor visits, therapy aids, and scans, for example.I have been organising with friends and family to have several food fundraisers, and my daughter has even offered to do bake sales at school and church to help out, but it would take months to reach the financial goal.That’s why I am making an urgent appeal for everyone’s help to make affording this surgery possible, please!

My greatest wish is to reach the stage of full recovery where I can return to my former life where I continued education & self-development to create a better life for my daughter; to go to work once again earning an income and being able to support myself, my daughter and my family who have been supporting me through this ordeal; to get back to the me I use to be. This is my desperate plea for your assistance which would mean so much to me; it’s the light at the end of my tunnel, the way back to being happy and healthy.Thank you!