Fort St. John firefighters say they were proud to be able to help local resident Michelle Worton with medical travel assistance, donating $10,000.
Worton has been struggling with debilitating neurological symptoms and was diagnosed with a pineal gland cyst and her path forward is surgery in the United States with a leading neurosurgeon. A GoFundMe has also been set up for Worton.
“Michelle was a thriving woman. Independent, with a zest for life, energetic. You would find her in the back country, hiking or skiing in the mountains with her family,” reads the donation page.
“You would find Michelle serving her patients, her community, educating them, providing care; a career she loved for 20 years. You would find her living, every minute of every day. Truly living life. This is no longer the case, and hasn’t been for almost two years.”
Worton was diagnosed with the cyst in August, but has been battling the health issue since December 2021. She’s tentatively scheduled for surgery on November 20, 2023, pending finances.
Her condition causes severe headaches, cranial pressure, insomnia, cognitive deficits such as speech or mental processing, blurred, double, and tunnel vision, sound sensitivity, lapses in short-term memory, and problems with balance - she also has begin experiencing intermittent loss of vision in her right eye.
The brain surgery will require a minimum of two days in hospital with seven to ten days additional stay in Charleston, South Carolina. The estimate for the surgery’s cost is $150,000, with additional medical and travel costs pushing it closer to $200,000.
