Girl, 12, in race against time to raise £60,000 for spine op
“She has gone downhill over the last few months and now can’t walk because of the pain and she is also starting to struggle to breathe properly.
“She has to have the operation done now as she only has a window of opportunity while she is still growing and before her spine starts to stiffen.”
Traditional fusion surgery available on the NHS uses steel rods to straighten the vertebrae but it is highly invasive and leaves sufferers unable to bend their back and their spine is unable to grow further.
Violet’s family have pinned their hopes on an operation available in Barcelona called vertebral tethering. Surgeons attach nylon rope all along the spine with screws to produce the right tension needed to correct the curve.
Gaynor said: “It’s an amazing operation. The nylon rope acts as a support to the spine. It’s a less invasive surgery that still allows the spine to grow.”
She added: “It really is a race against time to get it done. She has been so brave – even though she is in a lot of pain, she’s always got a smile for everyone.”
The family have raised more than £31,000 towards the operation but they still need to raise another £29,000.
Gaynor added: “We can’t give up on her. We need Violet to have this opportunity.” Readers can donate at justgiving. com/crowdfunding/gaynor-mullin-1 Scoliosis sufferer Violet with her worried mother Gaynor
PIONEERING SURGERY CAN RIGHT TWISTED BACK
SCOLIOSIS is a condition in which a person’s spine is curved to the side and rotated.
Classed as either S or C-shaped, the condition is stable in some people but for others it increases over time.
Mild cases do not typically cause problems. Scoliosis often occurs in the growth spurt just before puberty.
While it can be caused by conditions such as cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy, the cause of most cases is unknown.
It is first noticed by a change in appearance of the back.
Fusion surgery sees steel rods placed on either side of the spine to hold it in place while bone grows into the gaps, fusing the vertebrae together.
The Barcelona operation allows the bones of the spine to move and keep growing.