- Y
Gaby is a star that never stops shinning, a warrior that inspires others around her, an angel that changed my life. As her mother, I pray everyday for my daughter's health and I feel confident God will surround us with generous and good people in this journey.
She has fought against death since her birth 3.5 years ago in Colombia, when she fell into a coma 5 minutes after being born. Gaby's adrenals do not work at all (not being able to produce hydrocortisone, a corticoid we all need to keep us alive) and due to this situation her kidney and other organs are already taxed to a point where surgery is needed to make some corrections in order to give her the chance to a "normal life", as she will be on this medication for life.
I have to give her oral hydrocortisone every 8 hours religiously, and depending on her daily activities I have to give her an extra dose. While she takes medication several times a day, if she is stressed (ie, cold, flu, injury) we have to double and triple the dose in order for her not to go into an adrenal crisis.
As I need to be next to her most of the time to make sure her levels are optimal, I was not able to go back to work after she was born, and all income we have at home is my husband's which is around CA$370 dls a month (for a family of 5). Unfortunately, in Colombia we don't qualified for any goverment help, as this disease is considered one of the 10 orphan diseases in history.
We are blessed to have qualified to have surgery at Sick Kids in Toronto, but such blessing came with some challenges as well, as I had to travel with my daughter to an unknown country with no more than 50 dls in my pocket and a schedule of 2 months of medical appointments.
Because we were booked for surgery at the last moment, we had to purchase full cost tickets and our costs were as follows.
1. Cost of tickets : $3,000
2. Cost of expenses in Toronto (8-10 weeks) : $2,000 (food, transportation, diapers, phone calls, etc )
3. Cost of medications at home: $1,000 (hydrocortisone and topicals creams for around 5 months)
I thank you in advance for you generosity from the bottom of my heart, and wish you and your family health and a Merry Christmas!
She has fought against death since her birth 3.5 years ago in Colombia, when she fell into a coma 5 minutes after being born. Gaby's adrenals do not work at all (not being able to produce hydrocortisone, a corticoid we all need to keep us alive) and due to this situation her kidney and other organs are already taxed to a point where surgery is needed to make some corrections in order to give her the chance to a "normal life", as she will be on this medication for life.
I have to give her oral hydrocortisone every 8 hours religiously, and depending on her daily activities I have to give her an extra dose. While she takes medication several times a day, if she is stressed (ie, cold, flu, injury) we have to double and triple the dose in order for her not to go into an adrenal crisis.
As I need to be next to her most of the time to make sure her levels are optimal, I was not able to go back to work after she was born, and all income we have at home is my husband's which is around CA$370 dls a month (for a family of 5). Unfortunately, in Colombia we don't qualified for any goverment help, as this disease is considered one of the 10 orphan diseases in history.
We are blessed to have qualified to have surgery at Sick Kids in Toronto, but such blessing came with some challenges as well, as I had to travel with my daughter to an unknown country with no more than 50 dls in my pocket and a schedule of 2 months of medical appointments.
Because we were booked for surgery at the last moment, we had to purchase full cost tickets and our costs were as follows.
1. Cost of tickets : $3,000
2. Cost of expenses in Toronto (8-10 weeks) : $2,000 (food, transportation, diapers, phone calls, etc )
3. Cost of medications at home: $1,000 (hydrocortisone and topicals creams for around 5 months)
I thank you in advance for you generosity from the bottom of my heart, and wish you and your family health and a Merry Christmas!