Teenage girl's endometriosis is so debilitating its attached itself to every organ in her body
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Featured Image Credit: GoFundMe / samuel wordley / Alamy Stock Photo
A teenage girl is suffering from endometriosis and experiencing excruciating pain 'day and night'.
The mother of 18-year-old Lydia, who is sadly 'battling the debilitating condition', has turned to GoFundMe in a bid to pay for another surgery.
Endometriosis occurs when the tissue, similar to the uterine lining, grows elsewhere in the body, which causes a 'painful and chronic' disease, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Last July, doctors performed a failed surgery on Lydia, 'which has only exacerbated the condition', mother Rachel claims.
After a body scan the family discovered that Lydia had endometriosis attached to the lining of every organ.
The teenager has been housebound and 'hasn't got much more mental strength to be in pain', Rachel writes on the fundraising page.
"The wait on the NHS for an operation could be up to 2 years and there are no longer any endometriosis specialists working in the NHS to operate on such an invasive and extensive condition," the mum continues.
"I hate having to ask for any help, especially financial, but watching such a young girl stuck on a sofa, day in day out because putting one foot in front of the other causes crippling pains is enough for me to swallow any pride.
"I wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t necessary.
"The operation will take place at The Royal Princess Grace Hospital under Mr Peter Barton-Smith, director of The Endometriosis Clinic."
At the time of writing, Rachel has raised £4,735 of the £6,200 goal.
Well, a new cellular mapping study could help provide more treatments for people like Lydia.
The study led by researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA, has been published in Nature Genetics Trusted Source.
It analyses almost 400,000 cells to generate cellular and molecular profiles of endometrial cells.
Its findings could lead to easier diagnosis and more effective treatments for endometriosis.
Dr Kate Lawrenson, research scientist, co-senior and corresponding author of the study, told Medical News Today: "Endometriosis has a devastating effect on so many people, and is remarkably common.
"Unfortunately, it is also one of the most underfunded diseases there is, and many basic questions remain unanswered — which is why this research provides a huge leap forward in understanding the biology of this disease.
"I hope that work like ours can help bring conversations about endometriosis into the forefront, to improve awareness and also increase much-needed funding for endometriosis research."
If you are suffering, you can find help, support and advice at Endometriosis UK.
Topics: Health, Endometriosis
