AN Eckington woman needs to raise £1,600 by the end of the week, so that she can return home following life-saving surgery.

We have previously reported the story of 21-year-old Antonia Payne-Cheney, ‘Tonia’, from Eckington, near Pershore, who has an acute form of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a rare connective tissue disorder.

Miss Payne-Cheney also suffers with complex secondary complaints, which caused her brain stem to be compressed and to have further gastro-intestinal failure.

Following an intense fundraising campaign from Tonia’s mother, Victoria Cheney and a small support group known as #TeamTonia, Miss Payne-Cheney secured sufficient funds and a voluntary paramedic team to drive her by ambulance to hospital in Barcelona in early June, where she underwent urgent neuro, brain and spinal life-saving surgery followed by further intestinal surgery.

The specialist treatment and surgery for this condition is not available nor funded in the UK through the NHS. Due to the onset of Sepsis and an extended stay in intensive care the costs of hospital stay in Spain rocketed.

The journey home alone later this week, using volunteer paramedics and the family’s own elderly ambulance, requires £1,600 to be found. These costs, along with the need for potential further surgery, and rehabilitation has set the new fundraising target at £59,000.

Miss Payne-Cheney's mother, Victoria Cheney, said: "The care and compassion demonstrated by the medical teams at Teknon Hospital have been second to none.

"Their work is done for now and so we are doing everything in our power to secure donations in cash and in kind from supporters in order to afford to come home.

"We have tried, in vain, to get free flights to fly our volunteer paramedics out to Spain. Tonia’s small fundraising team of helpers has done a brilliant job with running events but we still have a mountain to climb.

"Just because Tonia has had her first surgery does not mean we can afford to take our foot off the fundraising gas, as much treatment follows, and this has to be paid for."

Sarah Grout, spokesperson for fundraising support group #TeamTonia, said: “The group have worked tirelessly not only to reduce costs in bringing Tonia home but also to raise the next stage of funding to support Tonia’s further surgery and treatment.

"We are seeking star prizes for a grand draw. On several occasions now the community has pulled together to support this amazing young woman and have repeatedly given her hope for the future.

"That we have to appeal again to the community and not to public funding going forward is a matter of great concern, but for now the priority is on raising the funds to get our girl back home in our midst."

Donations can be texted TEXT : EHLE82£1 or EHLE82£5 or EHLE82£10 to 70070 or to make a larger donation, visit justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/just4children/toniasjourneyforsurvival