An uncle, brother and cousin are running 100km over three days to help raise funds for Offaly woman Abi, who urgently needs surgery costing over €90,000.
Abi needs urgent surgery(Image: idonate.ie/crowdfunder/abisurgery)
An uncle, brother and cousin are running 100km over three days to raise funds for an Offaly woman who urgently needs surgery in Germany.
Abi, who was born with the rare genetic condition Amelogenesis Imperfecta, has suffered lifelong pain, repeated infections and the loss of all her teeth by the age of 20.
Her condition has recently become far more serious. Posting on the ‘100km in 3 Days for Abi’s Surgery’ fundraising page, Abi’s uncle Nathan Bennett explained: “A CT scan showed that Abi s upper jaw bone (maxilla) is now only 1.4 mm thick. This is dangerously thin and at real risk of collapsing within the next two years.
“If this happens, her face will sink inward and her breathing will become dangerously restricted, most likely requiring a permanent ventilator just to breathe.”
Abi must now travel to Germany for a series of surgeries costing over €90,000, with the most urgent procedure needing to be performed this month. Doctors have warned that after this window, her jaw bone will be too thin to repair.
Nathan added: “We have exhausted all our options with the HSE and Abi must travel to Germany for several surgeries costing over €90,000, including an urgent hip-to-maxilla bone graft. The window to act is extremely tight. The surgery must take place before March 2026. After that, the bone will be too thin to repair.
“If the graft is done in time, it will stabilise her maxilla. Three months later, she will need implant posts placed to prevent the grafted bone from shrinking, followed by a final prosthesis.”
To help fund the surgeries, Nathan, alongside Abi’s brother and cousin, are taking on a 100km run over three days, with all donations going towards the urgent treatment.
Nathan said: “We are asking for your help to make this surgery possible. Any donation, no matter the size, will bring us closer to giving Abi the chance to live without pain. If you can’t donate, please consider sharing our story to help us reach others who might be able to.
“The run will take place over 6th to 8th March. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for reading, supporting, and caring about Abi.”
For more information or to donate, visit the ‘100km in 3 Days for Abi’s Surgery’ fundraising page.
Want to see more of the stories you love from the Irish Mirror? Making us your preferred source on Google means you’ll get more of our exclusives, top stories and must-read content straight away. To add Irish Mirror as a preferred source, simply click here.