Mel is a 27yr old bubbly, caring & loving young lady who is facing the prospect of dying – having just graduated from Newcastle Universities School of Biology with a BSC Honours Degree. She lives in Cramlington, Northumberland and has always aspired to become a teacher!
As explained below, we are in desperate need of all the support we can possibly get! We know our brilliant local community will soon come together to help us gain and generate the momentum essential to keep the campaign active with awareness and funds coming in constantly by obtaining both national and international public support for #melaniesMissionToLive!

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)
Mel suffers severely from a severe form of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) that causes all of her joints to dislocate, especially those in her spine and neck. You can read more about EDS on our what is EDS page. This has lead to severe cranial, neck and spinal instability.
 
Cranio-Cervical Instability (CCI)
Mel also now has a severe case of Cranio-Cervical Instability (CCI). CCI is a condition whereby the whi skull and brain sink on to the  spine like “a pumpkin on a toothpic”, this causes brainstem compression & reducing the Cerebral Spinal Fluid (CSF) flow around the brain – causing CSF to build up and at times results in disfiguring facial swelling.
Consequently Mel is now completely bed-bound, suffering up to 40 seizures daily and she urgently needs to get to America for this specialist & potentially life-saving Neurosurgery. She can’t sit or move her head without triggering seizures, many of which require emergency services and a trip to resus!
So she’s forced to lie face down on her tummy and currently has major CSF leaks at least 2x week! She’s rapidly loosing feeling and control of her limbs; suffers constant photophobia; agonising headaches; disturbances and loss in vision and hearing; up to 40 seizures each day- even whilst sleeping and terrifying episodes of paralysis from the neck down.