Mum of seriously ill woman diagnosed with heart failure while her daughter awaits surgery in Spain

Molly Hartshorn is often the sole carer for her daughter Melanie, but she's been told while in Spain that she now has heart failure. Credit: ITV Tyne Tees

The mum of a seriously ill woman has been diagnosed with heart failure while her daughter is awaiting surgery in Spain.

Molly Hartshorn is in Barcelona looking after her daughter Melanie Hartshorn, who is waiting for the second part of a life-saving operation to stabilise her spine.

Updating her followers on Facebook, Mel said it was 'devastating news' and a 'sad day'.

"There’s so many things we have wanted to do for such a long time now and time is precious! That trip to the theatre and the holiday we never managed... I need to get better to be able to do those things with my Mam!

"We’ve been simply “surviving”, with Mam providing my care, but unable to spend quality time together, or do anything fun! "

The 33-year-old from Cramlington, who has Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, had the first part of an operation to secure her neck and spine in Barcelona last year.

She raised the money to pay for it, but after spending a long time in intensive care following the procedure, doctors told her she would need to wait to recover to have the operation completed in a second procedure.

Mum Molly became unwell with a racing heart, exhaustion and dizzy spells, and after further tests has been diagnosed with heart failure by doctors in Spain. She has been given medication.

  • Video report by Amy Lea in November

Mel and her Mum spent Christmas in an apartment in Spain where medical staff are on hand after being discharged from hospital, and initially felt "positive" abut 2023 - posting on Facebook that she hoped this would be the year she "got her life back".

Mel has been told the operation she needs to stabilise the rest of her spine is due to take place in the next two to three weeks but she says she still needs to raise money to pay for the procedure and the increasing costs of ongoing care.

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