Well-wishers donate nearly £10,000 to help poorly Milton Keynes girl stranded in South Africa

Already the plight of Chantal Mae Creed has touched the hearts of strangers in the UK, including clothing company Pretty Little Things, which has donated £2,500 to the £40,000 appeal.

Chantal, known as Chanti, flew from her MK home to stay with her sister in South Africa early this year and became stranded there due to Covid travel restrictions.

While she was there, she became ill and was admitted to hospital, where an MRI scan revealed a lesion on her brain.

But doctors in South Africa cannot identify the lesion or begin treatment until a brain biopsy is carried out. And, with only private medical care available, this will cost thousands.

Meanwhile Chanti has been put on large doses of steroids to prevent the lesion growing and becoming life-threatening, but the side effects of the drugs have led to more problems and hospital admissions, said her sister Amanda.

Chanti is not medically fit to fly home for treatment due to pressure and swelling the lesion is causing to her brain. And the travel and medical insurance that she diligently took before leaving the UK has refused to pay her medical expenses due to a Covid-19 loophole, said hAmanda, who described the situation as a "nightmare".

She estimates the medical bills, including the much-needed biopsy, will total £40,000 and she has launched a Gofundme page in a bid to raise the cash. Within days the page has raised £9,779.

Amanda said: "My beautiful, vibrant sister has had her life shattered in the period of a week. From surfing in sunny South Africa, to misdiagnoses from doctors and the ER, to an MRI scan revealing an undiagnosable brain lesion."

She added: "The specialists can’t treat her without a brain biopsy and there is an imminent danger of the lesion growing with life threatening effects the longer it is left.

"Please help fund my sister to have her brain biopsy. She needs to have the biopsy done within the next few weeks. Without your help, generosity and compassion, Chanti’s future is in jeopardy."

The fundraising page can be viewed here.