Radio host Reverend Frank Ritchie says his daughter Selah is on the mend after undergoing “hugely expensive” surgery and treatment in Germany for a life-threatening illness.

Ritchie, Newstalk ZB’s Sunday at Six co-host and Methodist minister, returned to the airwaves on Sunday after almost two months away.

He has been in Europe with his wife and 17-year-old daughter seeking treatment for her debilitating Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) - a process that he estimated cost a staggering $200,000.

“I’ve got to be honest, it was probably the hardest thing we’ve ever done as a family,” he told listeners. “But the choice to do it is already proving itself.”

Ritchie previously told the Herald Selah’s condition left her in constant pain and unable to eat. Without the surgery her condition would deteriorate further, he said.

The family took on significant debt and fundraised to fly to Europe and pay for EDS treatment available in Germany.

On his first show back last night Ritchie said it was “very, very good to be home” and the magnitude of what they had been through was still dawning on him.

And despite wondering at times if the family was making the right decision, Ritchie said it was “awesome” as a dad to now see Selah recovering, with her eating improving and medications dropping off.

‘I second-guessed myself regularly’

The Ritchies fundraised through Givealittle to get Selah to Germany for treatment. Photo / Givealittle

Selah’s symptoms had started around mid-2023, Ritchie told ZB listeners last night.

“She started having strong abdominal pain when she would eat. It got to the point where if she stood up, her blood pressure would drop significantly and her heart would race so she’d be dizzy, she wouldn’t be stable on her feet.

“Sometimes she’d come close to passing out. Her weight dropped dramatically.”

Selah was then also diagnosed with abdominal vascular compression syndrome, with a compression in her small intestine stopping food passing through.

After she was put on a feeding tube, the Ritchies eventually realised her condition could not be dealt with in New Zealand. They were told they needed to get surgery in Dusseldorf in Germany.

“It was extremely hard - it is the most stressful thing I have ever done as a dad, having my daughter cut open on the other side of the world,” he said, adding that “I second-guessed myself regularly” and there were days where it didn’t look like the right choice.

However, after returning from almost two months away, Selah was eating solid food without pain and her capacity to eat was improving. She was also able to walk without any blood pressure issues.

While her energy levels were still returning and she still dealt with nausea and back pain, her medications were decreasing.

Selah Ritchie before travelling to Germany for treatment. Photo / Givealittle

“It has been wonderful to see we made the right decision,” Ritchie said. “I’m very proud of her courage. I am more in love with my wife than I have ever been; more in love with my daughter than I have ever been.”

The trip “made us as a family”, he said.

A Givealittle fundraising page set up for Selah last year raised more than $117,000, exceeding the initial $106,000 target. However costs ballooned further after the Ritchies’ application for funding from New Zealand’s High-Cost Treatment Pool (HCTP) was declined.

The ZB host thanked anyone who had supported the family financially - estimating the total cost of the procedure, including travel and lost income for their family, came to around $200,000.

“We could not have done that without the support of a huge community of people ... I am very, very grateful.”