Kiera Fairnington, a Fort Frances High School alum and former Muskie hockey player who took her hockey talents to Beloit College in Wisconsin, is in need of surgery to save her legs.
According to a family GoFundMe campaign attributed to her aunt, Jessie Cameron, Fairnington has been diagnosed with compartment syndrome, a painful condition in which blood circulation to the muscles is reduced, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
“Compartment syndrome happens when there’s too much pressure around your muscles. The pressure restricts (reduces) the flow of blood, fresh oxygen and nutrients to your muscles and nerves. Compartment syndrome is extremely painful,” the Clinic explains on its website.
“A ‘compartment’ is the medical term for a group of muscles, nerves and blood vessels. Compartments are covered by a fascia—a thin, firm membrane. Compartment syndrome happens when extra pressure builds up inside a compartment, and your muscles press against the fascia more than they should.”
The condition requires surgery to relieve the pressure in the young hockey player’s legs.
“Kiera has been a committed hockey player since the age of four,” the appeal says. “She has played on several teams, sometimes more than one team at once. She has worked hard to obtain a scholarship so that she could continue to play hockey at a college level and get an education. Kiera currently resides on campus and is a member of the women’s hockey team at Beloit College. She has a year and a half of college left; it’s been a struggle for her to think that she may never be on the ice again.”
The appeal noted that Kiera can have surgery done in the U.S., “which would be ideal because everything she needs to have around her to heal and recover is right on her campus. It will also keep her scholarship in good standing.”
The challenge is that Fairnington’s insurance will only cover 80 per cent of the cost of the required procedure. The estimated cost is US$13,000 per leg plus additional expenses for recovery and recuperation. The crowdfunding campaign has a goal of raising $11,000 in order to help the family defray the costs of the operation. As of Monday afternoon, it was at $7,669 or 70 per cent of that goal.
You can donate at gofund.me/10b502fb4 or by searching for “Kiera needs some help” on gofundme.com.
