I am raising money for the charity Spine Aid (http://spineaid.co.uk/ ). I am aiming to raise the money for 1 operation which we hope to complete for £1300 - in the UK these operations cost £18,000 each!

Any help/change you can offer will be greatly appreciated and will go to a great cause!

Why we need your help!

At the end of February 2019, I'll be travelling to North India with a team of 6 Spinal Surgeons. The team will be working with Spine Aid- a charity dedicated to treating disadvantaged patients in the developing world who have severe spinal problems and disabilities. The team will be offering life changing surgery to as many children as they can over 7 days. The most in need children with spinal problems from all over India will be invited for surgery.

Case 1

To give you a flavour of the work Spine Aid does, I'd like to introduce you to MV. MV is a 14 year old girl born with a significant spinal deformity, leaving her with chronic pain. Her curved spine made it difficult to breath as she grew older, putting increasing pressure on her lungs.

Beyond the physical problems associated with such a debilitating spinal condition, MV also contended with the social stigmata associated with deformities in India. She hated her body. In India spinal deformities are associated with neglect, social isolation, and the prospect of finding a partner is affected. MV underwent surgery with the Spine Aid team, which was a technically very challenging operation.

Following the operation, MV recovered well and was mobilizing 4 days after the operation. She is now taller, pain free, has better self esteem and has excellent future prospects and opportunities.

Case 2

The second patient I would like to introduce you to is JJ who was 12 when the Spine Aid team met him in recently in Zambia.

JJ had a progressive deformity of his spine, that not only impeded his ability to walk and activities of living, but also began pressing on his heart and lungs making it more difficult to breathe and harder for the heart to pump. The Spine Aid completed a further operation to realign the spine after breaking it in a controlled manner and then fusing it with screws and rods. This operation is referred to as a osteotomy and is one of the most challenging operations to perform.

This is JJ after the operation. He is making good progress as his spine takes on the shape of an inserted metal rod, very much like a young tree around a rigid stake.

With your kind donations to Spine Aid, we hope to help the poorest, most disadvantaged children in India. We hope to offer them a chance to lead an independent life. As well as performing surgery, the Spine Aid team will teach local surgeons looking to a more sustainable future.

Where do your donations go?

All money donated to Spine Aid directly funds patient care, which are mostly children. Spine Aid provides nutrition, transport and medical equipment to help these children. Your donations will also go towards: purchase of an operating table, Spinal equipment and gases (the most significant cost- a single screw can cost hundreds of pounds!!!), nutritional support for the child's duration in hospital.

All members of the Spine Aid team will be working in a voluntary capacity during their annual leave from the National Health Service. I will be assisting the surgical team in my capacity as a Junior doctor and learning everything I can from this world leading team of spinal surgeons.

Thank you for your help.

For more information on Spine Aid, please visit: http://spineaid.co.uk/