WOMAN'S BID FOR AUSTRALIAN FIRST STOMACH TRANSPLANT

Yahoo 7 News | Amanda Abate
Friends of a young Brisbane woman suffering a rare and deadly stomach disorder are appealing to the community to help keep her alive.

23-year-old, Marianne Thrush is preparing to become the first Australian to undergo a full stomach transplant.

From the day she was born, Marianne’s chances of survival were slim.

Her condition is called Hollow visceral myopathy, which means she has a stomach that doesn't work, and she's getting weaker.

"I pretty much was told I had no hope," she says.

"It's gotten to the point where having a shower is like climbing Mt Everest."

The only thing that can save Marianne is a full intestinal transplant and the only doctor able to do carry out the complex procedure is in Melbourne.

"Having to relocate here has been a huge thing," she says.

Friends and strangers back home in Queensland are doing everything they can to ease the strain. They've held garage sales and a charity fun run.

Sandra McLennan spent months in a hospital bed beside Marianne's and vowed to help her as soon as her own health improved.

"Shes a beautiful woman who deserves to do everything everyone else can do," she said.

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