Hi i'm nichola this imy story of of my life struggling with emphesmia and COPD at 34. I have been fighting and struggling with my illness for many years now and unfortunately has progressively worse now. I suffer with emphysema and COPD and is the youngest woman to be diagnosed in the UK with this disease at 23 years of age. After 12 years of suffering with this condition I've hit a dead end with the NHS as these disease occurs in elderly people there is no actual intervention for her over here. Its very hard and confusing the emotional distress on me and my child has been taunting to watch and see.

With your help and support I and anyone else participating are hoping to raise the funds I need so i can receive the correct treatments and after care at the National Jewish Hospital in Denver Colorado, who have give me so much hope on the treatment they are offering, this will give me a longer life expectancy than being in the U.K as staying here with no treatment has actually minimised my expectancy.

FULL STORY

I nichola was dignoised with emphesma and COPD at the age of 23, sadly at the age of 21 after having my son I became very unwell when I was pregnant with my 2nd child which I was not able to carry due to my illness. Jordan was born in 2003 of October in the Christmas coming that's when things went a little wrong for me, I had woke one day with serve pains in her chest and back I couldn't even hold Jordan in my arms i went to the hospital had a blood clot in my lung so went on to have treatment at that time, I was pregnant at the time and was advised I was unable to continue as it was a threat to my life. Unfortunately 6 months down the line the pain was still there certain test was carried out to find a benign tumour in my upper lobe of the right lung this tumour had to be removed due to the complications I started become really poorly again so more tests was done . The doctors therefore after the testing found a further 37 begign tumours which was causing significant pain and complications at the time nicki suffered 16 spontaneous pneumothorax therefore then it was assigned that she was to have a further operation to remove the 2nd lobe and partial part of the 3rd lobe leaving small part of the lower lobe only on the right side. Nicki couldn't care for herself carers would come and clean her home wash her and prepare food. Jordan at this point had to live with his nan for 1 year while nicki tried to recover this mentally pulled nicki down to where she ened up with a aniexty disorder she would be scared to go out feeling people would judge her for having this illness.

I therefore had the upper part of her lung removed. We all thought all would be ok but things didn't seem to change i became unable to start doing things for myself i couldn't do little things like taking Jordan to park and pushing him on the swing the little things really got me down but I have tried to live a normal life went to work to look after children who suffered abuse and child protection orders. In this time i was trying for other children but unfortunately struggled to carry as complications would occur I have lost 8 children with this disease which in itself broke me but I always had to remain strong for Jordan who also was affected with this as he was very aware when I was pregnant so as you can imagine trying to explain the situation to my son was very difficult.

I started become really poorly again so more tests was done to find she had COPD and Emphesma this was a shock to all as at this time she was only 23 and nobody in the uk of this age has been diagnoised with the condition. The doctors therefore after the testing found a further 37 begign tumours which was causing significant pain and complications at the time nicki suffered 16 spontaneous pneumothorax therefore then it was assigned that she was to have a further operation to remove the 2nd lobe and partial part of the 3rd lobe leaving small part of the lower lobe only on the right side. Nicki couldn't care for herself carers would come and clean her home wash her and prepare food. Jordan at this point had to live with his nan for 1 year while nicki tried to recover this mentally pulled nicki down to where she ened up with a aniexty disorder she would be scared to go out feeling people would judge her for having this illness. With nicki having emphesema as a young person we dont have treatment over here as its assumed only the elderly and they only have management treatment nicki has not even got a management plan in place. In 2017 nicki become even more poorly a crushing feeling contactly on her chest struggling to breath, now nicki cant wash or brush her own hair, simple things like going upstairs is a huge effort. Now there is nothing they can do to help Nicki with any of her symptoms as it's so unknown.. Please help fund my friend to get the right treatment in America which will able her to live more of a normal life... Please SHARE please SHARE Please make LUNG DISEASE AWARE!!!!