A MOTHER with a devastating medical condition has just three months to raise £150,000 for a lifesaving operation abroad, or face complete paralysis.

Jessica Kill, 38, was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome in June 2014.

EDS is a genetic connective tissue disorder that presents itself in childhood or young adulthood. Sufferers have stretchy skin that tears easily, hypermobile joints and fragile blood vessels with May being national EDS month.

The project manager, who used to live in Redhouse and Cricklade, was plagued with ill-health throughout her 20s, but it was not diagnosed with EDS until 2014.

“I had intense pain which I was told was growing pains, stomach problems diagnosed as IBS, I was told I had deficiencies or was just unlucky,” she said.

“I used to have this dream that someday I would find this magic cure and find out what was really wrong with me and that everything would be okay.

“I was proud of myself for coping with the illness as long as I could. I was relieved and I thought it could be managed.”

But last Christmas Jess noticed she was developing pains in her head, pressure around her ears and facial numbness. She was diagnosed with Craniocervical instability, a complication of EDS where the skull slowly crushes the neck, leading to pain and eventual paralysis.

“It sounds awful but when you have EDS you become quite blasé about pain because you are in it all the time,” Jess said.

“My speech was slurring and my head hurt, they thought I’d had a stroke. I knew my symptoms were a sign of CCI, I just had a feeling the NHS were wrong so my family paid for an upright MRI. I didn’t want to be right about CCI but I was.”

To take the pressure off Jess’ brain stem and prevent paralysis, she needs complex neurosurgery called Posterior Fossa Decompression which has a 95 percent success rate.. However the specialist surgery is only available in the USA and Jess has just three months to find the £150,000 cost of the operation

“It this was my life now and there was nothing that could be done, I would accept it, I’d have to. But something can be done, so I can’t be resigned to my fate. But it can only be done in the US.

“Even though I was in chronic pain before, I had a quality of life which I don’t have now. I can’t work so I don’t have my independence .

“It hurts to move, even with a plastic neck brace I can feel it, I’m finding it difficult to do everything.”

In little over a week, more than £10,000 has been raised by generous well-wishers.

Jess said she is unable to be the mother she once was to her two children Louis, 16 and eight-year-old Finley.

“It’s dramatically changed what I can do with my children, before we would go on bike rides or for long walks and now I’ve become quite a boring mummy. It’s hard to explain and because my eldest is about to take this GCSEs I don’t want him to know too much.

“If I don’t get this surgery, I will need help breathing, eating and have to sleep with a machine, it is terrifying.”

“I am so humbled and grateful for the support that has already been given to me. I hate having to ask people for money but I can’t do this on my own.”

To donate to Jess’ operation go to www.youcaring.com/jessica-kill-559740#.Vx-5LR0ROUV.facebook or visit teamjess.co.uk