A cancer survivor who was fighting for ACC to pay for facial disfigurement treatment has won - with the state health insurer now coming to the party.
Just over a week ago, Newshub national correspondent Amanda Gillies spoke to Greymouth woman Brittany Kremers - who just wants a normal life; to look and feel normal.
For two decades, she's lived with constant pain and facial disfigurement after she was diagnosed with aggressive cancer as a child. Life-saving surgery involved removing a chunk of her jaw.
"My mental health is absolutely shit," she told Newshub last week. "I struggle doing daily things - I struggle getting out of bed half the time.
"It hurts to talk, it hurts, it hurts to eat... it hurts doing this interview."
Nearly $300,000 was raised to fund surgery so a prosthetic could be attached to her jaw, but this was put on hold because ACC declined her claim to fund post-surgery treatment.
Kiwis were outraged by the story. But Newshub can reveal ACC has just come to the party and will now fund the post-surgery treatment.
Brittany's mum Dawn told AM they found out the good news on Monday morning.
"I'm not sure it's sunk in completely with Brittany yet but it's great news," she said.
"We're going to go to Auckland [in] it sounds like early Feb for a planning meeting, it's not going to be one surgery; it'll be a lot of surgeries and a lot of planning so [a] big year ahead but great, great news and we're feeling really confident about it all."
Dawn said ACC was also backdating the claim to 2008 when Brittany's first treatment injury happened.
The surgery would "completely" change Brittany's life, her mother said.
"It means you'll be able to understand her, she'll be able to eat properly, she'll be able to drink properly, not be stared at - it's life-changing.
"We know it's not going to be a very quick fix; it's going to be a long fix because there's a lot to do - but it will be life-changing. It will give her back her life."
The surgery would give Brittany the life "most people take for granted", Dawn said.
"I can't even fathom what it's going to mean for Brittany in the long term."
