Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Iona back home after major back op in Turkey
Family busy fundraising to pay £40,000 for procedure
Glenboig schoolgirl Iona Stewart is back home following a successful 12hour operation in Turkey to improve severe curves in her spine.
The 12-year-old underwent a procedure called vertebral body tethering ( VBT) to reverse the effects of scoliosis – and mum Yvonne says the results to date are “beyond our wildest expectations”.
She returned home on Thursday to be greeted by a welcoming committee of family and friends, just a week after keyhole surgery at Acibadem hospital in Istanbul which straightened the curves in her back from 75 and 60 degrees at the top and bottom to 20 and 10 respectively.
Now her family is getting set to continue fundraising the £ 40,000 cost of the operation – an alternative to fusion surgery, inserting metal rods into her spine – with a further series of events this month.
Yvonne told the Advertiser: “We’ve been advised by the surgical team that they’ve managed to improve her curves to 20 degrees at the top and 10 at the bottom; and as Iona still has some growing to do, this will get even better over the next year or two.
“We’d hoped for a 50 per cent correction at surgery, so what they’ve achieved is just miraculous and we’re beyond grateful to have found Dr Ahmet Alanay and the amazing team at the spine centre.
“Surgery was more complex than first thought as Iona’s lumbar spine was quite rigid – Dr Alanay did a double tether to avoid tether breakage and further surgery – and due to the complexity of the operation, it ended up being nearer 12 hours than nine.
“Iona spent only half a day in intensive care and on day three, she was already walking and doing laps around the ward. She has work to do to stretch and strengthen the muscles that were contracted by her curves and to learn how to hold herself with her new straighter spine.”
The St Ambrose High pupil was accompanied to Turkey by parents Yvonne and Ian, and had a special surprise just before her surgery as older sister Janine also flew in to lend her support.
She has also received support including an email from Bear Grylls and tweets from celebrities including Pat Kane of Hue and Cry, television star Lorraine Kelly and even Barcelona FC.
Yvonne said: “All the love and support has helped Iona feel less alone on this journey and kept her spirits high knowing so many people are cheering her on every step of the way.
“The last few hours of her operation were the most difficult for us; it was almost 1am UK time when the surgical team called to say all was well and Iona would be moved to ICU, and hundreds of people were logged into Facebook for updates.
“We just feel so blessed and so grateful to absolutely every single person who has made this surgery possible.”
Iona’s family set about raising the thousands required for VBT, which is not currently available in the UK, after learning that it could provide her with more flexibility and allow her to resume her hobby of dancing.
They have so far raised more than £10,000 – including £1000 each from local chip shop Marino’s and the Tartan Army children’s charity, plus the cost of pre-surgery x-rays and consultations from the Sara Thackeray charity.
Next on the calendar is a zumabathon and prize draw at Glenboig community centre on October 22, followed by a race night at the Big Shop in Glenboig on November 3 and a gala ball at Hampden Park on November 9.
It includes a three-course meal, live entertainment and auction and raffle prizes including 12 VIP tickets for Strictly Come Dancing at the Hydro in Glasgow next February, signed football strips and a bottle of 32-year-old Celtic whisky signed by Billy Connolly.
The family’s Go Fund Me page total now stands at nearly £8000, and Yvonne added: “Saying thanks just isn’t enough; we’re blown away by how generous people have been and we’ve overwhelmed by the response.
“Our amazing family and friends have been selling football cards, doing sponsored activities and donating prizes – it’s just incredible and we’re hugely humbled.”