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Georgie Ferris’s Christmas wish list was a bit different from everyone else’s, and most of it had materialized long before December 25, thanks in part to the kindness of a stranger.
The 24-year-old just wanted happy experiences for Christmas, to create memories for her family to treasure when she is no longer here.
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Ferris and her twin sister shared a special vacation when she was in better health.
Ferris, who lives in Nelson, has Ehlers Danlos syndrome (EDS). The disease is not usually terminal in and of itself, but people can die from complications. He’s in hospice care, and while he hopes to see his 25th birthday in May, that’s not guaranteed.
“I was diagnosed four years ago after many painful misdiagnoses and personal trauma. Doctors refused to treat me for years, but when I was finally diagnosed with EDS, everything seemed to change.
“Unfortunately, in my case, the disease has caused my stomach, small and large intestines to fail. I cannot digest or absorb nutrients, and I have relied on intravenous nutrition through a central line in my chest. “
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Things got more complicated when she developed mast cell activation syndrome (caused by EDS) which resulted in a severe allergic reaction to intravenous nutrition that kept her alive.
After developing neutropenic septicemia in June this year, her body was unable to recover and she was placed under palliative care.
EDS has put a lot of pressure on your heart and lungs, periodically making you dependent on oxygen. And it is not unusual to have joint dislocations, as the collagen in your body is not strong enough to hold the joints in place.
Once at hospice, her medical team encouraged her to complete her wish list while she still could: zip-lining with her cousins in Christchurch, speedboating in Queenstown, meeting Brodie Kane (and her mother, Jo, as an added benefit). He even managed a skydive off Abel Tasman when he was good enough.
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A skydive at Abel Tasman was one of the special moments Ferris received on his list this year.
Thanks to his medical team, friends and family, Ferris has managed to make most of his dreams come true.
“I feel very fortunate that despite the circumstances we are facing, I have been able to do so much. Many people have an unexpected death, but I, my family and I have been given time.
“Even though I have been given a shorter life expectancy than others, I have the opportunity to have fun and spend this time with my loved ones. It has been a difficult journey, but I have accumulated a lot in these 24 years, and even more in the last few months. “
One of the last things on his list was a trip to Auckland with his family and a couple of friends, to stay in a five-star hotel and tick off some of his last dreams. And thanks to a chance encounter, her wish came true before she got too sick to travel by plane.
Ferris had followed Nelson’s catering company Relish & Rhubarb, run by Mel Turnbull, on Instagram for nearly a year, drooling over his grass dishes when a close relative asked him for one as a gift.
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“I feel very fortunate that despite the circumstances we are faced with, I have been able to do so much,” says Ferris.
“The source was sent to the wrong house,” says Ferris. “And we’re very happy that it was, otherwise Mel would never have decided to deliver a replacement herself, and we would never have met her.”
From Turnbull’s point of view, he couldn’t help but think about how he might help Ferris tick off those last few items on the wish list.
“I instantly felt right at home with Georgie and her family, and could see what kind of girl she was for some of the smallest things on her wish list: preparing a meal for the Ronald McDonald House staff, baking a cake with your aunt.
“I couldn’t believe she was so positive, dedicated and optimistic despite everything that has happened and is still happening.”
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A family trip to Waiheke Island was part of a recent trip to Auckland.
Although Turnbull was unable to finance the trip to Auckland herself, as Covid had hit her business like so many others, she knew she had a platform that could help.
“I knew we could do auctions on our Instagram page so I asked Georgie to make a little video and obviously her warmth shone when so many local businesses came together and donated things that we could auction off.”
After the first auction of nine, they had enough for flights and lodging for Ferris’s mother, sister, and three friends to go to Auckland and stay at the Hilton.
“I couldn’t believe it, it happened so fast,” says Ferris. “The first auction was on Monday and in two weeks we were in Auckland. It was incredible. Mel is an amazing human being and we can’t believe we didn’t know her less than two months ago. She feels like part of the family and like we’ve known her forever. ”
Turnbull and his family understand the loss very well, as his brother-in-law passed away almost three years ago from cancer.
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Despite his illness, Ferris has done adventurous things like the Auckland Sky Jump.
“Our family knows how much creating memories matters and it’s great that Georgie is creating all these experiences that her family will have to remember,” she says.
“We tried to make all the wishes of my sister’s husband come true, but it wasn’t entirely possible. In fact, it would have been her birthday the day I met Georgie, so I was already quite excited when I heard her story and knew I wanted to do something to help if I could. “
There are still a few things left on Ferris’ bucket list, like meeting Jacinda Ardern, taking the Northern Explorer train ride, seeing a real-life zebra swimming with dolphins, and completing 13 random acts of kindness, but right now. , she is happy with how many have overcome them in just six months. An example of how to live life to the fullest.
