A DUBLIN woman suffering from a rare condition who featured in Northside People earlier this year has undergone three life-saving neurosurgeries in the US.
Mags Forkan suffers from Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS), which put her life at risk and fundraisers around the city help raise €135,000 for the surgeries.
However, she now urgently needs another €15,000 to pay off final medical bills and for vital post-surgery care to ensure her surgeries will be successful.
Mags was an active, independent woman and unknowingly had EDS all her life before finding out it was behind the various odd and seemingly unconnected health problems she suffered from.
EDS causes faulty collagen throughout the body making it a multi-systemic condition.
It literally is the glue that holds the body together and is found throughout the body’s organs, skin, joints, blood vessels etc.
Mags’ most serious diagnosis came last year, when she received the devastating news that she had Alanto Axial Instability (AAI), in effect causing an ‘internal decapitation’.
AAI is characterised by excessive movement at the junction between the skull and the neck. In Mags’ case, she was fully dislocating the facet joints, upon rotation, of the two top disks in her neck.
This resulted in her ‘catching’ the spinal cord during certain movements, which is extremely dangerous.
This serious condition resulted in huge deteriorating neurological symptoms, which were massively affecting her day-to-day life and causing unbearable pain in her head and neck.
Mags found the only specialists willing and able to perform the procedures she needed were in the USA and is extremely grateful for the treatment she’s received.
“I feel blessed these doctors understand how complex EDS can be,” she said.
“They have empathy and compassion and an amazing bedside manner like I have never experienced before.
“My dream is one day through awareness, myself and others can access this kind of expertise and knowledge at home.”
Mags and her family are completely overwhelmed by the support they have received from friends, family and the general public, but they just need some final assistance to get them over the line.
To donate to Mags’ cause see www.gofundme.com/magsedssurgeryfund.
Donations can also be made by bank transfer using the following details: Ulster Bank; account number 15088739; sort code 985040; IBAN IE56ULSB98504015088739.
