Mom in fight of her life to stay on feet for son | Lead Stories

Faced with excruciating pain brought on by avascular necrosis (AVN), Mishcah Hamilton has found herself in a race against permanent immobility, requiring emergency hip-replacement surgery after suffering a total joint collapse because of sickle cell disease.

A common but devastating complication of the disease, AVN is the death of bone tissue due to a loss of blood supply, causing the bone to weaken and potentially collapse, most commonly affecting the hip, knee, shoulder, or ankle.

Diagnosed with sickle cell at 10 months old, Hamilton, now 32 years old, said she was diagnosed with AVN in 2008, but noted that doctors determined at the time that surgery at 15 was dangerous.

“I am at stage five, so my femur has already collapsed and there’s degeneration of the bone. Now, my X-ray is showing that I have severe osteoarthritis due to the AVN. So it has progressed because I have sickle cell, which is a blood disorder. Enough blood is not going to the bone in the hip, causing the complication to develop,” Hamilton told The Gleaner.

She said the condition has forced her out of several customer service and administrative jobs, disclosing that she has not been employed full time since 2020.

Once independent, Hamilton said she is now forced to rely on a crutch for every step, using it to navigate a world that has become a minefield of “excruciating” pain.

Now, even the shortest distances hurt, she said.

“Without it I have no balance. It stabilises my balance and helps me with mobility by taking the pressure off my hip,” she said.

However, beyond her physical challenges, Hamilton said the constant threat of immobility has taken a toll on her mental health, noting that the unpredictability of the disease and the loss of her independence have left her grappling with a deep sense of hopelessness and anxiety.

‘Hurts my quality of life’

Added to that, she said the complication has limited her ability to take care of her six-year-old autistic son.

“I can’t even do the simplest tasks. Playing with him, moving about with him because, you know, boys play rough. Personal care is difficult. Bending to even put on my undergarment, to lotion my feet; it’s uncomfortable and difficult.

“It hurts my quality of life. The severity of the pain plays on my mental health. Every day I’m in constant pain and at times, the medication does not help. I have insomnia at nights because of it,” said Hamilton.

She is seeking to raise US$25,000 (J$3.5 million) via fundraising platform GoFundMe to cover the cost of the surgical procedure, hip prosthesis, hospital stay, post-operative recovery care, follow-up medical appointments, physical therapy and rehabilitation, medication, and transportation related to treatment and recovery.

Further, she said the surgery is being pursued through private medical care, explaining that due to the progressive nature of the condition, her chronic pain and the level of joint damage, and current level of pain and joint damage, timing is critical.

“Public healthcare options often involve long waiting periods, sometimes extending many months or longer, which could worsen my condition and negatively affect recovery outcomes. Private care allows for earlier intervention, appropriate scheduling, and continuity of care,” she said.

She said her medical expenses have increased significantly since her last surgery in 2022 to replace her right hip.

“The financial burden is one I cannot manage alone,” she said.

“As a mother to my son, Micah, who is autistic, I carry the responsibility of providing daily care, stability, and support, while also managing a chronic illness. Living with ongoing pain and limited mobility can make even simple tasks challenging, yet my son depends on me every day.

“This surgery is about more than my own healing; it is about restoring the strength and mobility I need to continue caring for him and being fully present in his life. Improving my quality of life also means being better able to support his needs, which is incredibly important to me,” said Hamilton.

How to Help Hamilton

If you would like to contribute to Hamilton’s surgery, donations can be made through the following channels:

• gofundme: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-mishcah-get-her-critical-hip-replacement

• Bank: NCB

Branch: Cross Roads

Name: Mishcah Hamilton

Account number: 474934314

Account type: Savings