A FORMER Alton Convent pupil’s desperate appeal for money for a life-saving operation has surpassed its £75,000 target in just three weeks.

Laura Sylvester, 23, who has the degenerative muscular condition Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and lives in constant pain, expressed her shock and gratitude last week after her plea was answered by people all over the world.

It means she can now undergo specialist neurosurgery in Washington DC, creating stability in her neck and reducing the risk of fatally damaging her brain stem.

She will lose complete movement of her head and neck as a result of the surgery but Laura is determined to adapt and hopes to resume her degree in petroleum geoscience at Imperial College London by the end of the year.

“The response has been incredible and I didn’t expect to reach my goal at all, let alone exceed it in three weeks,” said Laura, who lives in Farnham.

“I still can’t believe so many people want to help save my life and it really is a Christmas miracle.

“It’s made me very emotional to see how much love and support everyone has given me, and it goes to show how strong the local community is.”

As well as friends and family, Laura has received donations from people across the Farnham and Alton area, and even as far away as South Africa, Australia, the United States and Poland.

Farnham Youth Choir, of whom Laura was a member for many years, has also played a crucial role and collected almost £1,700 thanks to an alumni carol concert in Lion and Lamb Yard and its annual Christmas concert at the Farnham Maltings.

Laura’s university has donated the proceeds of a bake sale and her old school, Alton Convent, hopes to raise more funds in the new year.

She continued: “It means so much to me not only that people have read my story, but also that it has increased awareness of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

“People have contacted me to say they recognise some of my symptoms and can now go to their doctors and get checked out. Lots of other people already diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome have also contacted me directly, including some in the Farnham and Alton area.

“It’s been a great way of reaching out to other people experiencing the same problems and in the future I’d love to set up a support group for people to meet up and chat.”

Laura’s fundraising total now stands at £108,000, and any funds raised above her target will be used to fund her ongoing treatment.

After the surgery, Laura will spend a month rehabilitating in the United States before she is strong enough to return to the UK.

She will then require life-long physiotherapy, three times a week at a specialist unit in London, to ensure her spine stays aligned, as well as hydrotherapy and acupuncture to manage the extreme pain she suffers every day.

The costs of this, estimated at between £500 and £1,000 per week, are not covered by Laura’s insurance or the NHS.

She added: “I’m still getting worse and have a whole list of other things I need to sort out. For instance, I need more surgery to fix the torn labral ligaments in my right hip. But my neck is the priority and I hope that with physio and the right diet I might be able to return to some sort of normality and resume my studies.

“I’m not going to let this take over me unless I’m completely debilitated.”

For more information about Ehlers-Danlos syndrome or to donate, visit youcaring.com/careforlaurasylvester.