A young woman who’ll be familiar to Abbots Langley residents is desperately trying to raise money for vital surgery that’ll change her life.
Charlotte Hiller, 31, who currently lives in Birmingham but was raised in Abbots Langley, has recently been diagnosed with a number of life-changing physical illnesses, such as Chiari malformation, Atlanto Axial Instability and instability at c3-4 on top of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, which she’s suffered from since 2003 (details of her diagnoses can be found on her GoFundMe page).
Charlotte, whose parents, Janet and Stanley Hiller, still live in Abbots, is in serious danger – specialists have told her she is currently at risk of her head fully dislocating from her neck if she knocks herself in the wrong way, and of suffering a stroke any time she turns my head for too long.
Among Charlotte’s worst symptoms are an inability to remain standing, loss of balance and sometimes the inability to move my legs at all, along with migraines, speech difficulties, visual changes and short-term memory loss.
Charlotte, who residents may remember from her days at the Young People’s Drama Centre, added: “Following appointments with a number of specialists, it is clear that surgery is needed as soon as possible in order to prevent deterioration and permanent neurological damage.
“I am dependant on carers visiting three or four times a day to help me manage my personal care, cooking, cleaning and getting out of the house. I am dependant on walking aids and a wheelchair to move about safely outdoors, and I spend most of my time stuck at home. Although I try to stay positive, and do as much as I can to better myself, it is getting more and more difficult to function.
“I have a surgeon who has agreed to do the surgery, but it is not available on the NHS for people with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and I am unable to cover the full cost myself. In order for me to have this life preserving surgery I have with a heavy heart no option but to fundraise. The costs will be £26,725 toward the surgery and £4,000 to cover essential post op rehabilitation.”
To help Charlotte’s cause click here.
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