After four years battling chronic fatigue, pain, migraines and insomnia, Australian model Shannon Hottes became convinced her breast implants were the cause of her health issues.
The 31-year-old model and animal lover, who has appeared in the TV series, Underbelly, was initially against removing her implants.
Speaking to 9Honey the Gold Coast resident said: "I didn't like the idea of having them removed to solve my problems, so at first I went into getting tested for every other illness."
But after almost half a decade of pain, Hottes decided "the only option" was to have them removed.
Hottes also shared that she went through a series of tests including an MRI after seeing a neurologist. When the results came back as inconclusive, she decided to "take a leap of faith" and have her implants removed.
Breast Implant Illness or BII is a term used to describe illness following breast implant surgery. Notable symptoms are chronic fatigue, sleep issues, joint and muscle pain - all of which are often alleviated with the removal of implants.
But breast implant removal isn't cheap so Hottes turned to crowdfunding to raise the money for her surgery. And thanks to the kindness of strangers she has amassed $8000 through GoFundMe to go towards her $11,400 medical bills.
Finding a surgeon who acknowledges breast implant related illnesses was also challenging for Hottes. She told 9Honey: "My surgeon believes in breast implant illness, and that is rare because not a lot of surgeons do. So to have someone making you feel safe and validated in your feelings is important to me."
Hottes has thanked her generous donors and shared that their contribution has left her "speechless".