A brave mum-of-three who is battling a debilitating illness is finally set to head to the US next month for vital treatment she hopes will give her her life back – as a desperate plea was launched to raise the final funds needed.
Danielle Gardiner – known to family and friends as Dana – is currently battling Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) – a condition that causes fainting, blackouts, dizziness, palpitations, chest pain, shortness of breath and headaches, as well as other symptoms.
To compound matters, she is also battling Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) – a condition that can cause seizures, difficulty with movement, speech issues, problems with vision and hearing, and pain – including chronic migraines.
That has left the 40-year-old confined to as wheelchair, unable to work and carry out everyday tasks, as she searches for a breakthrough.
With no treatment readily available via the NHS, Dana and her family and friends were left to come up with their own alternative.
Close friend Nicola McGuinness, who has worked with Dana for many years, set up an online fundraiser to send her for innovative treatment at a clinic in Arkansas.
The target of £75,000 was set towards the whopping cost of treatment.
However, with Dana’s condition continuing to worsen, the family have taken the decision to press ahead with their trip to the US for treatment despite the fundraiser still being more than £15,000 short of the cost.
Dana and her husband, Andrew, will fly to the Spero Clinic in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on January 21 to begin the much-needed treatment.
Dana, a hospitality manager, previously told how the symptoms started out of the blue more than six months ago when she started to drop plates at work.
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She is the manager of Stirling’s Cold Beer Company pub, located in Murray Place, and concerned colleagues there launched an online fundraiser in a desperate bid to send her to a clinic for treatment.
The £75,000 fundraiser was set up by colleague and friend Nicola McGuinness who wanted to help Dana, Andrew and their three sons Freddie, 17, Frankie, 14, and Finley aged 10 – who live in Falkirk.
Almost £59,500 has so far been raised with the clinic requiring payment for the following week’s appointments to be sent for the following week, meaning that a race is on to secure the final funds to cover the cost of Dana’s treatment throughout her stay.
In a video on the fundraiser page, close pal Nicola, who is co-ordinating the effort, said: “I know that Danielle has been at a few of the [fundraising] events recently and unfortunately for some you may have seen that there is some worsening in her condition and taking seizures.
“Speaking to the Spero Clinic, they have requested that Danielle makes the flight earlier than we hoped, in around March time.
“It’s good news. We’re booked in, we have a date, we’re all go in making this happen for Dana and her family so she can receive this life-saving medical treatment.”
Last week Nicola added: “We need to raise that £75,000 and we’re sitting at £56,500. So although we have pressed play, we’ll be flying them out of January 19 to arrive there in time to start the treatment at 8am on January 21 – but we can’t stop the fundraising.
“If we did run out of funds, unfortunately Dana would be sent back home.
“On behalf of Dana and the family, we would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who has donated, shared, who has given raffle prizes or done things in their pubs to help us. We’ve been absolutely overwhelmed with support, but we do need that to continue. Please don’t think that we’re done.”
Speaking from her hospital bed last month, Dana posted an emotional video to her social media pages updating her condition. In the four-and-a-half-minute clip, she said: “Here goes again, night seven in hospital. I’m probably giving Andrew and the boys a bit of a break.
“They [medical professionals] don’t know enough about POTS and they’re trying to do everything to stop the blackouts.”
Dana then detailed collapsing in the shower on the ward, adding: “I just wish life would go back to normal. Six months I have been off work and not driving. Our whole life has turned around. I can’t take my kids to school, I can’t cook a dinner, I can’t do housework.
“It has broken my husband, my kids, my friends.
“I just love to go on a night out, but I’m scared to go in to a restaurant for a meal because I take blackouts at the table. I’ve had food in my face. I’ve had a fractured eye socket, a broken wrist.”
She added: “All I want in life is for my family to be happy again – to be a proper mum and a proper wife and give them the happiness they all deserve.
“Unfortunately they’re not going to be able to fix this and I’m just scared that this is what life is.”
To donate towards Dana’s treatment, click here.