A FORMER Alton schoolgirl diagnosed with a rare, incurable genetic disease has launched a desperate appeal to raise £75,000 for a lifesaving operation in the United States.

Laura Sylvester, 23, who attended Alton Convent School between 2003 and 2010, was studying for a post-graduate degree at Imperial College London this summer when her life was turned upside down.

Diagnosed with the degenerative muscular condition Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome – a disease often misdiagnosed as multiple sclerosis or myalgic encephalomyelitis – Laura deteriorated quickly, forcing her to postpone her Masters degree, return home and be cared for by her parents.

Once an extremely sporty, sociable, positive and driven young woman, Laura has become tremendously vulnerable. She lives in extreme pain, wears a neck brace all day, and is at constant risk of damaging her brain stem to such an extent that it would cause her to stop breathing.

To reduce this risk and allow her to get her life back on track, Laura is in desperate need of specialist neurosurgery which could be performed on January 13, 2016, in Washington.

However, as there are so few experts in the world trained to perform Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome surgery, the cost of medical expenses, travel and recovery is estimated at around £75,000. And Laura urgently needs help reaching this figure.

“The surgery will create stability in my neck and stop the compression on the brain stem and cerebellar tonsils, essentially saving my life,” said Laura.

“This will enable me to carry on living my life as a normal 23 year old, hopefully mostly pain free and without the worry of causing further damage, which could otherwise prove fatal.

“Unfortunately, it comes at a cost of losing complete movement of my head and neck. Nevertheless, I am determined to adapt to this and begin fulfilling my dreams once again and resuming my Masters degree.”

Within a week of launching the #CareforLaura appeal online at youcaring.com/careforlaurasylvester, Laura has already received £45,000. But she still needs another £30,000 to reach her goal.

She continued: “I’ve been so overwhelmed by the generosity of my friends, family and online donors but I desperately need to raise the remaining money by January 13.

“Any amount of donations and support for this specialist neurosurgery will be so tremendously appreciated, not only by myself but also my family and friends.

“Please do consider contributing to the first major stepping stone that I need to live my life without fear.”

Laura also hopes her appeal will raise awareness of her condition. Once thought to affect one-in-150,000 people, as the profile of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome has increased in recent years that number has dropped to one-in-10,000.

However, it remains the case that no neurosurgeons in the UK specialise in treating the condition, forcing those diagnosed with the syndrome to travel abroad at great expense.

To learn more about Ehlers-Danlos syndrome or to donate to the #CareforLaura appeal, visit youcaring.com/careforlaurasylvester.