Single mother has three months to raise £150,000 to pay for own life-saving surgery
'At 38 years old I have too much to live for,' says Jessica Kill
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A British mother-of-two says she has three months to raise £150,00 for pay for life-saving surgery only on offer in the United States.
Jessica Kill, 38, from Birmingham was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) two years ago - a rare hereditary condition that affects sufferers' heart rate, blood pressure and digestion.
She has now found she is also suffering from the related conditions of chiari and craniocervical instability which, if untreated, will kill her.
Ms Kill says she needs to receive cranial fusion and decompression surgery, which has 95 per cent success rate.
This life-saving surgery is not as yet available in the UK or Europe and cannot be funded on the NHS.
She has so far received £22,800 of her fundraising target of £150,000.
Miss Kill said on her YourCaring page: "This is causing havoc in my body and is slowly stripping me of normal body function, energy, independence and eventually my life
"Week-on-week my neurological symptoms are worsening. I have numbness/weakness and nerve pain in my arms, legs and hands. Walking is now very challenging for me.
"My speech has become slurred and I have constant tinnitus and increasing difficulties with hearing and visual disturbances."
Craniocervical instability attacks the brainstem, upper spinal cord and forces Ms Kill to wear a neckbrace.
Chiari causes the lower parts of the brain to pushed downwards towards the spinal cord.
She added: "At 38 years old I have too much to live for. I want to be independent again and go back to being the funny mummy that fixes everything, instead of one that increasingly, by the day, finds it difficult and painful to even smile."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments