More than $80,000 has been raised for a 21-year-old nursing student who needs to undergo life-changing jaw surgery to eat properly again.
Ashley Fenn has suffered from chronic illness due to deterioration of her jaw joints in a condition called temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJD).
At age 16, she woke up and found she was unable to open her mouth, and since then she has suffered from constant pain and an inability to eat a proper diet, which has led to dramatic weight loss and issues with nutrition.
That led to her being fitted with a surgically-placed jejunostomy tube to deliver food directly into her stomach.
After five years of health issues, which have impacted her studying to become a nurse, a specialist told her this year that she would need a total replacement of both joints at a cost of $60,000.
Writing on her Givealittle page , Fenn said the she just wants to get back to studying, and stop being a burden on her family and husband.
"I have had many procedures and surgeries in the attempt to fix my jaw problems for good," Fenn said.
"However, the success these surgeries brought were only temporary, lasting a few months at most.
"This has interfered with my full-time job, and my nursing degree that I am struggling to fight through the pain to complete.
"And now I'm completely tube-fed due to pain and restriction - this comes with its own set of problems.
"Due to this, I am in and out of hospital regularly due to trouble controlling pain, malnutrition and having seizures."
Fenn said a total replacement of both of her jaw joints was "the last step in the hope of batting my condition and pain".
"I just want my life back - I don't even remember what its like to enjoy every day that passes, and to be pain free," she wrote.
"And I want to become a registered nurse more than anything in the world.
"Unfortunately the DHBs for my area only fund two of these surgeries per year, which has left us with no other choice than to find the money for the surgery ourselves," she said.
"Please don't feel obligated to donate, we understand that like us, money is tight for many people."
As of four days ago, Fenn had only raised about $7000.
However, more than 1000 people have donated this week - in amounts of up to $10,000 - and the surgery is now fully funded.
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