Te Kūiti woman Te Reina Worsley was recently diagnosed with Moyamoya disease, a rare and progressive disorder which causes a blockage to the main blood vessels in the brain.
She now requires a $250,000 surgery in the United States. But a sacrifice made by her own mother means she may head overseas sooner than expected.
At 35 years old Te Reina Worsely now depends on her whānau to help her survive.
Louise Tangihaere, mother to Worsley, says, "She needs a brain bypass, at first when we heard from America it was one side they were going to do but since her come back, and her strength they're actually going to do both sides of the brain."
Last December Worsley suffered a severe stroke that left one side of her body paralyzed as well as a loss of speech.
Worsley speech therapist assistant, Jaren-Anne Nikora, says, ""When we first met she couldn't speak, she could write a little bit, but she couldn't speak so I worked together with the whānau as they were such a huge support for her being able to work and get her talking again and putting words back together the way they should be."
The small community of Te Kūiti has been a pillar of support, fundraising thousands of dollars for Te Reina. But it's the actions of her mother Louise that's really made a difference. She recently sold her house to pay for her the treatment.
Tangihaere says, "It's been hard on all of us especially Reina and Ken and the family but it's made us stronger I believe its made us stronger. Its never been an issue on selling the house, my daughter's life is more important as any of my children would be."
Local shop owner Te Mihinga Hetet has been a champion in raising funds for Worsley and her whānau. She is shutting up shop soon for good and all funds raised in the last two weeks will go to Worsley.
"There's been a lot of donations and I'm very grateful to all the people in the community that have donated. We've had sixty families plus who have donated so its been great to get this girl to her operation we're all trying out hardest but we're getting there."
Husband, Ken Worsley says the community has been fundamental in supporting the whānau during a time like this.
"Te Kuiti just gets the big thumbs up from me and thank you from me and my whanau."
On Tuesday Worsley will be meeting with a neurologist to see whether or not she is fit to fly overseas.
So far around $24,000 has been donated to a givealittle page in support of Te Reina.
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