For Chelsey: Elisha raises money in memory of her sister
For Elisha King, raising money in memory of her sister, Chelsey, was in part about raising awareness of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) through The Alfred and partly a healing process for herself.
Elisha suffered the heartbreaking loss of her older sister, Chelsey, who was 21.
DVT occurs when a blood clot forms in a deep vein, usually in the legs. It can cause leg pain, swelling, warmth and redness, but sometimes there are no symptoms at all. DVT is extremely serious because if the clot breaks free, it can travel to the lungs and cause a life-threatening pulmonary embolism.
Booked in for an MRI, Chelsey suddenly passed away due to a blood clot travelling from the back of her knee to her lungs, and then to her heart.
“Chelsey was always the brightest in a room full of people,” Elisha said. She was a caring, soft soul and was always considerate of the people around her, especially her friends and family.
“No one should go through what me and my family have gone through. Losing a sibling and someone so close to you at such a young age is like nothing you can ever describe.
“There is just the constant pain and confusion as to why it all happened. I know I didn’t owe Chelsey anything, but it felt like I needed to do something so other families hopefully don’t go through the same thing that we did.”
Elisha organised an event on her sister’s birthday in July in their home town of Warrnambool – a morning beach swim – that about 200 people attended.
“Chelsey had a big love for the ocean – I don’t think there was a day where she went without being at the ocean, even if it was a cold winter’s day,” Elisha said. “She also loved her health and fitness, which is why it was such a shock that a healthy 21-year-old woman would pass away so quickly.”
Combined with organising a pilates class, Elisha raised $14,075.
“The events were amazing. It was a way to get people together, but also raise awareness,” Elissha said. “It brought together so many people. The second I started the fundraiser, the instant reaction was crazy – it was incredible.
“But ultimately we want to push for everyone to get checked out, because you just never know. You can be as healthy and fit as my sister was, and these things still do happen.
“Before this, my thoughts were ‘this stuff only happens in movies’. But, unfortunately, it doesn’t.”
Director of The Alfred’s Clinical Thrombosis Service, Professor Huyen Tran, said they were always grateful to receive donations, especially when it comes to the community.
“As clinician research doctors, we are privileged to have the opportunity to do what we love and care for the community,” he said. “But these donations give us an extra incentive to undertake further work that aims to continue to improve understanding of the condition and deliver better care to patients.”
Elisha and Chelsey's story featured in The Alfred Foundation's annual year in review, Impact.
