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Hopewell mom in need of life-saving surgery in Germany: ‘It’s getting very dire’

Posted at 11:01 PM, Aug 09, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-09 23:28:34-04

HOPEWELL, Va. -- Play time between two-year-old Ezekiel and his mom Alison Watson requires some patience on both mom and son’s part.

That’s because the 23-year-old mom has trouble doing normal mom stuff.

"We spend a lot more days on the couch and resting," Watson said.

The Hopewell mom has the extremely rare genetic condition Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. "It effects your body’s ability to produce collagen," Watson said.

Her veins and arteries are loose and lengthy and tied all up inside of her to the point where she can barely eat, she bruises easily, and she has to wear compression braces on her fingers and knees.

"Every time I step, my knee cap pops out," Watson said.

The illness threatens her life.

She could get a paralyzing blood clot at any moment.

"It’s getting very dire. It’s progressing quickly over the last month, honestly," Watson said.

America does not provide the lifesaving surgery she needs, but a surgeon in Germany does.

"He is able to go in and fix all my compressions in one surgery," Watson said.

But, a down payment for the treatment costs $30,000, and an additional $30,000 is needed to pay for a two-month stay in Germany following the surgery.

Watson said she doesn’t have that kind of money.

"No, I’m 23 and have a 3-year-old son. So, not quite," Watson explained.

So, she’s hoping people will hear her story and pitch in through her GoFundMe account to get her the lifesaving treatment she needs to stay healthy for her son.

"I need help. I’m very bad at asking for help, but it’s not possible to do this without it at this point," Watson said.

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