The Mowing Down MALS Family Day

The Mowing Down MALS Family Day is to help raise the funds needed to get young Ashleigh to America for desperately needed surgery, with lawn mower racing, racing bar stools, push mower relay, car boot sale, BBQ, Dumpling van, carnival rides, guess the balloons in the Ram, raffles, auctions and many, many more activities and attractions, there is sure to be something to keep everyone entertained. So mark Sunday 8th December in your calendar and pack your chairs, picnic blanket and plenty of change as it's going to be an awesome day! Under 16 free.

Ashleigh was once a healthy, active 12 (soon to be 13) year old girl, who enjoys school, hanging out with her friends, horse riding, eating quiche and KFC Twisters and the usual things girls her age do.

Sadly Ashleigh can no longer do or enjoy these things, her favourite foods now cause her excruciating pain (Dr Richard Hsu likens it to the pain felt with end stage pancreatic cancer), she has no energy to go to school (although tries to do half days, when she can) or hang out with her friends and her beloved riding lessons are a thing of the past. Ashleigh has a rare disease called MALS Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome (don’t let the name fool you, it’s nothing like the ligament you hurt playing sport).

MALS is a condition in which the median arcuate ligament presses too tightly on the celiac artery (a major branch of the aorta that delivers blood to the stomach, liver and other organs) and the nerves in the area.

Patients with MALS will typically have severe stomach pain soon after eating. Unfortunately, the only way to prevent the pain is to limit or avoid eating (which brings with it, it’s own set of problems) thankfully it is curable, but unfortunately Ashleigh needs to go to America for the life changing surgery.