A GoFundMe page has been set up for a young Galway woman to raise funds for her to avail of surgery in Britain for an incapacitating jaw condition which has left her bedridden and unable to eat.
Hannah Hill, who is 18, developed severe, incapacitating jaw pain in October 2018. The condition is degenerative in her jaw joints and has led to her losing jaw function. She has not been able to eat since Christmas 2018 and is surviving on emergency nutrition drinks from her dietician. She has been bedbound for the last five months as it is too uncomfortable for her to sit up, walk, or stand, and talking can also result in pain.
"Her condition is not well understood in Ireland and the treatment outcomes here are poor, generally involving a lifetime of pain," said her mother Ann Hill. "We have tried every kind of treatment available to us over the past eight months but she has deteriorated rapidly. The only hope we have at the moment is to bring Hannah to an oral maxillofacial surgeon in London who is a world leader in jaw joint treatments."
The surgeon has put forward a plan to the family of surgery and stem cell treatments with the hope of saving Hannah's jaws. In the meantime, "every day is spent trying to manage Hannah's pain and keep her strong enough bear it," said Ann. "It is so hard to see her suffering every day and we need to bring her to London for treatment as soon as we can."
The cost of the surgery is €35,000, and more than €8,000 has already been raised. Those wishing to donate for Hannah's surgery can do so via https://www.gofundme.com/Urgent-Surgery-for-Hannah.
