Good Morning Angels: Helping 21-year-old Rachelle following brain tumour surgery

BACKGROUND: Rachelle le Grange turns 21 on Sunday. She’s a vibrant, loving, hardworking final year Quantity Surveyor (QS) student at the University of Pretoria with a bright future ahead of her. The 3 cm tumour was pressing against her brainstem, cutting off the blood flow, which caused her to collapse. Because of the position of the tumour, surgeons were hesitant to operate. The family did find a surgeon who performed the tumour removal operation at a Johannesburg hospital last month. Instead of the estimated six hours, the operation took almost 20 hours!

Rachelle returned home last week, with her right side affected by the surgery. She will need extensive speech, occupational, and physio therapy and radiology in the months to come.  

Rachelle’s single mom, Rhelda, sold her car and other belongings to collect the funds needed for the operation. Rachelle’s dad died from cancer when she was just two. Her mom brought up her three children on her own. They have medical insurance, which covered only a small portion of the operation and treatment. Family and friends all contributed what they could, but due to the duration of the operation and the treatment still ahead, they have fallen far short of the funds needed to cover the costs. Rachelle’s cousin, Soné, created a fundraising page and they’ve managed to raise almost R300,000 - but this is still not enough. That’s why many of Rachelle’s friends, family, and class mates wrote to Good Morning Angels to assist this beautiful young woman and her mom. 

YOU CAN HELP

REQUEST FOR: Rachelle le Grange 

REQUEST FROM: Various listeners including Soné Olivier and the Saga family  

ANGEL: The Good Morning Angels Fund NPC

SPONSORING: The GMA Fund will contribute R50,000 towards Rachelle’s medical treatment

ORIGINAL REQUESTS: 

I am appealing to your generosity, I apologise for the long winded email, but I would like to include as much information as possible. A couple of weeks ago my daughter Valentina cried for help, her friend Rachelle had been diagnosed with a brain tumour and every doctor she had seen told her that it was in operable. My Valentina suggested we get her an appointment with the top neurosurgeon at the Milpark, which is a very difficult endeavour, as he is a very busy man. Regardless of this I tried due to the severity of her case. Doctor’s Patients were moved around and the appointment was scheduled for Monday. He informed her that the tumour was to be removed as soon as possible. The operation was scheduled for Friday and would take approximately 8/9 hours. The 8 hour operation turned into a 19 hour operation and the PRICE trebled. 

Unfortunately the family is not on a medical aid, they have an insurance that will only cover a small part of what was thought a R 700 000,00 operation. 

And so the fund-raising began. I have exhausted all of my contacts and have managed to raise R 250 000,00 so far. 

Rachelle's mom is a single mom who raised 3 children (Rachelle’s dad passed away when she was little due to cancer).

We have all been praying very hard for her recovery, the truth is though, that prayers and faith unfortunately do not pay the bills.

I am asking that you would please find it in your heart to donate to this cause.

I have included some pictures so one can put a face to a name as well as the link where you can make a donation.

Kind Regards

Annalisa Sega  

REQUEST 2:

This is my beautiful cousin, Rachelle le Grange.  She will be 21 years old on the 7th of March 2021.  Currently studying QS- quantity surveyor at the University of Pretoria. However, about 2 weeks ago she was diagnosed with a Vestibular schwannoma brain tumour. There is a right cerebellar pontine angle mass. This mass measures 2.7cm x 3.3cm on axial imaging. There is significant pressure effect on the pons and medulla, as well as the right cerebellar peduncle and fourth ventricle. There is the widening of the right internal auditory canal, in keeping with the extension of this mass into the canal. The tumour is situated on a very dangerous part of her brain and surgery is the only option. 

It has been advised that the tumour must be removed as soon as possible as it is blocking blood flow from her brain to her organs and is also affecting her balance, hearing, vision and is forcing her brainstem to the left of her brain 

Various Doctors did not want to take the risk of doing the surgery and radiation is not an option.  We are thankful that she found a very Competent Doctor and that he is willing to help her.  However, the medical costs are sky high as the medical aid will only cover a small part of the medical bills.  Everything must be paid in full before surgery can take place- an estimated amount of R600 000 is needed. Please help us to make a difference and help us to raise all funds to cover her medical costs ( Doctors Cost, MRI, Surgery, Hospitalisation & rehabilitation etc). Each donation will make a big difference. 

She will be able to pay all medical bills and live a long and happy life !!

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for each donation.

May God bless us all.

Soné Oosthuizen

Image credit: Supplied