Bay of Plenty mum with abdominal vascular compression syndromes (AVCS) booked for surgery in Germany

In five days, Bay of Plenty mother Pam Coburn will travel to Germany to get surgery she is in “desperate” need of.

Unable to eat or drink, the 40-year-old’s surgery is confirmed for July 23 to treat abdominal vascular compression syndromes (AVCS) which is unavailable in New Zealand.

Vascular compression syndromes are a group of conditions occurring when blood vessels are under abnormal pressure, restricting blood flow, which can make a person feel weak and cause extreme pain.

Coburn previously told the Bay of Plenty Times she faced a “death sentence” and expected to die within the next five years if she did not pay $180,000 for the surgery.

It comes after Hamilton teenager Jemima Thompson had the life-saving surgery in April 2023 after previously being told she had three years to live.

Hamilton vascular surgeon Dr Chris Holdaway has also spoken about his efforts to introduce the surgery in New Zealand.

Coburn’s health ‘getting worse’

Coburn lives in Athenree, near Tauranga, with her husband, Jon, and their sons Benny, 8, and Ollie, 6.

She said she was “desperate” for the surgery and her health had been “slowly just getting worse”.

“I’ve got these migraines that never stop. And because I wasn’t getting adequate fluid ... it’s just been harder and harder and harder on my body.”

Pam Coburn and her family at their Athenree home. Pictured L-R: Benny (8), Pam, Ollie (6), and Jon Coburn. Photo / Alex Cairns

While she was excited the surgery was happening soon, she knew the recovery would be “brutal”.

She would be away for six weeks and her sons had been finding it difficult in the lead-up to her leaving.

Coburn said she had been doing more with them such as going to a Lego bricks show in Tauranga and a children’s building class at Mitre10.

“Knowing that I’m not going to be with the kids, I want to be doing a bit more with them ... that’s the first time I’ve done anything for a while like that. And it was good - it was hard but I’m glad I pushed myself to do it.”

Coburn needs extra $5000 before leaving

Coburn and her family have raised $145,000 of their $180,000 goal.

But she needs an extra $5000 for flights, transport, and accommodation before she and her mother leave on Sunday.

She and Jon have applied for their superannuation funds in Australia to be released.

Their applications have been approved but the money has not yet been released. This will make up the remaining $30,000, she said.

Pam Coburn has abdominal vascular compression syndromes (AVCS). Photo / Alex Cairns

Coburn said she and her family were grateful to the community for their donations.

“I just want to say thank you from the bottom of all of our hearts for all of the support and generosity.

“We’ve done amazing - we didn’t actually think we were going to fundraise this much, especially so fast.”

She said some businesses were creating products, selling them and donating the profits.

“It’s mind-blowing and it’s very touching how supportive people are. And a lot of them are strangers.”

Coburn said people could donate via Paypal using her email address: pam_jane@hotmail.com

People can also contact Pam via email to donate directly to her bank account.

“If we get this $5000, it will be $150,000 that we’ve fundraised through donations and our fundraisers.”

Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.