Prolonged standing puts St Ann hairdresser in wheelchair - Woman seeks $3 million to do knee surgery -

The dangers of prolonged standing have often been overlooked by those who engage in the practice, including teachers, nurses, barbers, hairdressers, security guards, and other workers.
Prolonged standing may contribute to significant health problems such as chronic back pain, swollen feet, an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, varicose veins, and musculoskeletal pain, especially in the shoulders and neck.
For St Ann hairdresser Dahlia Spencer, who has been practising her craft for more than 30 years, the situation is more complicated, as it involves an underlying condition.
Spencer, of Runaway Bay in the parish, said she is suffering from osteoporosis in her knees, which has worsened over the past five years because of the amount of time she spends on her feet daily.
Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become weak, thin, and brittle, increasing the risk of fractures.
Her condition has progressed to the stage where Spencer is now confined to a wheelchair.
“All the gel has run out of my knees so my doctor recommend that I do surgery which costs J$3 million. I’m seeking help to get this surgery done,” Spencer told The Gleaner.
“Over the past five years, the pain got increasingly worse. [A] bone specialist said the bones are rubbing together.”
The “gel” she refers to is a gel-like substance called synovial fluid, which is present in the knees to lubricate the joints, allowing them to move smoothly and absorb shocks.
Her condition has left her in severe pain whenever she moves her legs, with the wheelchair providing some relief.
“I’m still working, sitting down and working, so as soon as possible this operation has to be done because it’s also deforming the knee,” Spencer added.
She said her condition has severely restricted her ability to earn an income, affecting her capacity to care for herself and her family, including a son who is attending school.
Spencer said a friend had attempted to set up a GoFundMe account on her behalf, but the effort was unsuccessful.
She is appealing to members of the public to help raise the required amount for the surgery.
Dahlia Spencer’s contact: 876-324-2038.
Banking information:
Dahlia Spencer
The dangers of prolonged standing have often been overlooked by those practising it, including teachers, nurses, barbers, hairdressers, security guards, and others workers.
Prolonged standing may cause significant health problems such as chronic back pain, swollen feet, increased risk of cardiovascular disease, varicose veins, and musculoskeletal pain, especially in the shoulders and neck.
For St Ann hairdresser, Dahlia Spencer, who has been practising her craft for over 30 years, the situation is more complicated as it involves an underlying condition.
Spencer, of Runaway Bay in the parish, says she is suffering from osteoporosis in her knees which, over the past five years, has worsened because of the length of time she spends on her feet on a daily basis.
Osteoporosis is a disease where bones become weak, thin and brittle, increasing fracture risks.
Her condition has reached the stage where Spencer is now confined to a wheelchair.  
“All the gel has run out of my knees so my doctor recommend that I do surgery which costs J$3 million. I’m seeking help to get this surgery done,” Spencer told The Gleaner.
“Over the past five years, the pain got increasingly worse. [A] bone specialist said the bones are rubbing together.”
The gel she refers to is a gel-like substance called synovial fluid which is present in the knees to lubricate the joints to help them move smoothly and absorb shocks.
Her condition has left her in severe pain whenever she moves her legs, for which the wheelchair offers some amount of escape.
“I’m still working, sitting down and working, so as soon as possible this operation has to be done because it’s also deforming the knee,” Spencer added. 
She said her condition has severely restricted her income earning ability, which is affecting her ability to care for herself and her family, which includes a son who is attending school.
Spencer said a friend of hers was trying to set up a GoFundMe account but this was not successfully completed.
She is appealing to persons to help raise the required amount for the surgery.
carl.gilchrist@gleanerjm.com

Dahlia Spencer’s contact: 876-324-2038.

Banking information:
Dahlia Spencer
Jamaica National (JN) Bank
St Ann’s Bay branch
Savings account number: RSV 10141663