A Whakatane family was holidaying in the US when their 11-year-old daughter began to seizure uncontrollably and nearly died.
Alyssa Ledbetter was swimming with her cousins and brother in Lake Washington when she unexpectedly hauled herself out of the water complaining of the worse headache she had ever had.
Eleven-year-old Alyssa is finally starting to feel normal again after a severely painful couple of weeks.
She says no she has, "no back pain or headaches, which is good".
Alyssa is staying with her mum and dad at her Grandmother's house in Seattle.
Her brother is back home in Whakatane.
The family was on the holiday of a lifetime. With lots of swimming, Alyssa's favourite thing to do.
But suddenly things took a turn for the worse.
"I went to my mom and just said, I have a really bad headache and I've never experienced a headache that bad", says Alyssa.
Her parents suspected a spinal or head injury and in a stroke of luck an emergency room doctor was picnicking nearby.
Dr Alisha Brown says Alyssa "was really pale and sweaty. She had very classic symptoms of a haemorrhage".
At the Harborview Medical Centre in Seattle, doctors discovered she had suffered a haemorrhage and had bleeding on the brain.
Doctors there are recommending Gamma Knife Radiosurgery as the only realistic option.
The problem is that Gamma Knife Radiosurgery cannot be performed in New Zealand.
A Ministry of Health spokesperson says, "The Ministry of Health sends our sympathy to Alyssa and her family who have found themselves in such difficulties so far from home."
They say the public health system should be able to support Alyssa when she is home.
And they say that radio-surgery, which is an alternative treatment to gamma knife radiosurgery can be performed at Dunedin Hospital.
This is a different technology to the gamma knife but treats the same condition and has the same results.
"That this treatment is the right one for Alyssa would need to be confirmed by specialists on her return."
If this treatment is not the right one for Alyssa her family will be able to apply for "high cost treatment funding".
They are covered by insurance for costs over in the US but a Givealittle page was set up to help should they need to pay for the gamma knife surgery.
So far they've raised more than $50,000.
Family and friends have rallied around them. And her parents say they are extremely grateful for all of the support.
"It's really seen us get through these hard times and its buoyed us through these troubled waters", her Dad says.
The family was due home two weeks ago. And her brother Rayna has had to step up since he arrived home before them and is taking on the running of the household.
"I believe everything happened for a reason," he says.
"If she can get through this she can get through anything."
The Ledbetters are now waiting for Alyssa to be cleared to fly.
So she can come home and start the next stage of assessment and treatment.
Alyssa says she can't wait to come home.
Newshub.
