July 22nd 2024.
A young woman named Paris Hedger from Adelaide faced a rare and life-threatening situation after being kicked by a horse. In order to have a chance at living a normal life, she will undergo a risky 10-hour surgery this week. Instead of embarking on the trip of a lifetime, the 20-year-old flew to Melbourne last week to prepare for the operation, which aims to remove blood clots from her lungs.
Paris' ordeal began last November when she was participating in a horse-riding activity while on a cruise in Vanuatu. The kick from the horse left her in a state of shock, and she soon noticed that her leg was severely swollen. Despite the alarming pain, her leg didn't seem to be seriously injured at first. An x-ray on board the cruise ship confirmed that it was not broken, and Paris continued her journey, flying to Brisbane and then back home to Adelaide.
However, things took a turn for the worse when her leg continued to swell and her blood pressure dropped to dangerous levels. Concerned, Paris' mother Karen took her to the hospital, where doctors initially believed she had a virus. Despite Karen's insistence that they look at her daughter's leg, only an x-ray was done, which once again showed that it wasn't fractured.
Paris had been eagerly awaiting her trip to the US, which she had saved up for since she was 15 years old. Her mother shared that it was her dream to visit New York, watch the ball drop on New Year's Eve, and celebrate her birthday there. A determined and driven individual, Paris had worked hard to become a personal trainer and content creator to support herself and make her dream trip a reality.
Before leaving for the US, Paris and her mother asked the doctors if it was safe for her to travel given her condition. They were assured that it was just a virus and that she would be fine. However, three weeks into her trip, Paris' health took a turn for the worse. She began to have difficulty breathing and developed a severe cough. Thinking it was just asthma, she saw a doctor in New York who immediately sent her to the hospital. Tests revealed that she had blood clots in her lungs, which doctors believe may have formed during her flight from Brisbane to Adelaide and then to the US.
Karen received a terrifying phone call that her daughter was critically ill and would have died if she hadn't gone to the hospital that day. Paris was flown back to Australia with a medical escort, but even with blood thinners, her condition did not improve. She was then diagnosed with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, a rare and potentially fatal form of elevated blood pressure in the lungs caused by long-term blockage of blood vessels by blood clots.
Karen described the situation as terrifying and heartbreaking, seeing her previously fit and active daughter struggle to walk and breathe. The pressure on the right side of Paris' heart had caused it to swell, and she was now facing heart failure. Her last hope was a major open heart surgery at The Alfred hospital, scheduled for Wednesday. The surgery involves cooling her body to 20 degrees and draining all the blood from her heart and lungs so that surgeons can remove the blood clots and scar tissue from her pulmonary arteries. While the doctors have warned that it may not be successful, Karen remains hopeful that her daughter will recover and be able to live a normal life.
The support and generosity from friends and strangers have been overwhelming for Paris and her family. A GoFundMe page set up by Karen's friend has raised $36,000 to help with medical expenses and their temporary relocation to Melbourne. Karen now advises everyone to have travel insurance and to make sure they have a passport before their child leaves Australia, a lesson she learned the hard way.
In conclusion, Paris' story serves as a reminder of the importance of being prepared for any unforeseen circumstances when traveling and the power of community and support during difficult times. We wish Paris a successful surgery and a speedy recovery, and we hope that she can soon fulfill her dream of visiting New York.
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