A talented 12-year-old swimmer from Shirley faces the "devastating" prospect of never competing again without life-changing surgery on her severe spinal deformity.
Marion with her parents Carolyn and Brenton
Schoolgirl Marion Cole was diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis in May this year and has a 68 degrees curvature of the spine, causing her unbearable pain.
The Croydon High School pupil requires surgery and hopes to go to Germany to have vertebrate body tethering (VBT), which aims to correct the spine's curves without the need for a fusion.
Swimming is 'Marion's life'
Swimming is 'Marion's life'
A fusion procedure on offer in the United Kingdom would mean she would never be able to swim again.
However, the German procedure will cost £45,000.
Carolyn Camphell-Cole, Marion's mother, has seen her daughter suffer since January this year and told the Advertiser the family will do all it takes in order to raise the cash required.
The 48-year-old, who lives on Pleasant Grove, in Shirley, with her daughter, said: "Day to day it causes her pain and just before we went off on school holidays it was a struggle for her to walk from the bus stop to home which is only two minutes away.
"It knocked her confidence and to be honest with you I can't put it into words how it has taken her to where she was to where she is now.
"When you come home and you see a 12-year-old who should be running around but is lying in bed with a hot water bottle to try and ease the pain, it's never nice to be honest."
Marion is a member of Dulwich Dolphins Swimming Club and was a Surrey county champion in 2015 and an Independent Schools Association national champion in 2015 and 2016 in her age group.
The youngster, who still swims 14 hours a week despite the pain, is also part of the school cross-country and netball teams but has had to reduce her sporting activity due to her condition.
Ms Camphell-Cole, who works as a specialist nurse, explained that if Marion was to have the surgery in this country, it will involve spinal fusion, which would leave her back immobilised.
She said: "I can't even begin to tell you the impact it has had, especially on her. She was the Surrey county champion two years ago and went to the London swimming regionals in May this year and came away with three bronze medals.
"She has still managed to maintain her swimming but if the proposed [UK] surgery goes ahead it will leave her back absolutely immobilised so she won't be able to swim again."
Marion has been attending intense physiotherapy sessions over the past few weeks at Scoliosis SOS Clinic, in London, in an attempt to try and ease the pain.
So far £3,000 has been raised and Marion's mother is continuing to hold events to try and reach their mammoth target.
She admits it would be "devastating" if her daughter had to give up swimming.
"I wouldn't even begin to try to think about what it would do to her," said Ms Camphell-Cole.
"I do not want to begin to go there. If she goes swimming and has pain she battles through it and comes home crying and that is just devastating for her and myself.
"Swimming is her world and it's her life."
To donate to the JustGiving page and help pay for the £45,000 operation go to www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/carolyn-campbell-cole
Source : Croydon Advertiser , 6th Sep 2017
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