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“I don’t want you to die,”
Harrison told his 32-year-old mum after she revealed to him and his sisters Adaline, Evelyn and Audrey that she needed a third risky operation on her skull and brain.
Mrs Miller said she had reluctantly turned to GoFundMe as her operation was not covered by Medicare and she and husband Aaron were unable to work while she recovered.
“One of the hardest things to do is ask for help, but now I have no choice but to swallow my pride and ask,” she said.
She has a condition known as chiari malformation type 2, meaning part of her cerebellum and brain stem protrude through the small opening of her skull, causing neurological and physical problems.
A fluid-filled cyst known as a syrinx is also causing spinal and nerve damage.
Surgeons in Sydney will remove part of her skull and brain, inserting a metal plate.
“My previous surgeons hinted that they’re not 100 per cent confident in performing another surgery,” she said.
“With this condition it normally only takes one surgery, maybe two, to have things under control but it’s very rare to need three.
“I won the medical lotto having two super-rare condi- tions and then becoming one of the rare ones needing more surgery.”
Mrs Miller, of Mildura, said having four young kids made the outcome all the more vital.
“My kids are amazing, they are taking it all in their stride, but my son and my daughter have said a few times that they don’t want my head to be cut open, and my son has gotten a bit upset saying that he doesn’t want me to die,” she said.
“It’s very hard thing to hear that come out of your babies’ mouths and having to reassure them without making promises.”
Mrs Miller was diagnosed in 2013 after persistent migraines and sudden bloody noses and fluid coming from her ears.
“In September 2013, I underwent my first surgery,” she said.
“My symptoms seemed to come good for about two years but then came back twofold with new symptoms appearing.
I had my second surgery in November 2016.”
She said she tried to make the most of every day because “life’s too short to worry”. brittany.carlson@news.com.au
