Irish Woman Makes Plea For Medical Treatment Funds – “Help save my life”

You may remember that we've written before about Dubliner Denise Ryan, a young woman who was bitten by a tick when she was living in Toronto.

From that, she contracted a very aggressive and advanced case of Lyme disease, lifelong gastrointestinal and immune system dysfunction, which has progressed to a life-threatening stage due to a delay in doctors finding a diagnosis.

Denise started a fundraising page in 2015, with the aim of raising €100,000, or 'ten thousands tenners', to give her a fighting chance at survival by affording treatment in America.

This week unfortunately, Denise gave us an update on how she's doing, and it's not good news. But there is still hope!

Denise got in touch with us to tell her story:

"Things aren't good here at the moment, I'm not sure if you've been following the updates but my illness is even more advanced than I and my doctors thought.

It's terrifying, but at the same time there is some hope if people can help me make a miracle happen - My amazing gastroenterologist at University of Washington Hospital has offered me the opportunity to go to Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, which is one of the best hospitals in the world. She feels that because my entire digestive system is so severely damaged and debilitated, as well as so many systems throughout my body being effected, and having been sick for so long, that I really need to go there ASAP to see their specialists and undergo a lot of testing.

If I can raise the funds as soon as possible my GI doctor can get me in right away, which is vital because of how advanced my illness is already and because my visa here is running out soon.

So I've had to raise the fund goal, which is daunting but this is a huge opportunity for me to go to one of the best hospitals in both the U.S. and the world, so I have to try to get there and hopefully they will find something that will help save my life."

Denise is now desperately trying to raise more money for the rest of her treatment, and has organised a raffle of a lovely Avoca Easter Hamper worth €150.

If everyone donated just €10, Denise would reach her goal in no time. The raffle takes place tomorrow, Wednesday April 19, so there's still plenty of time to get involved.

Find out more about her journey for health and survival, and how you can donate, here.