Continued Treatment for my Dad- NMO Disease

Amanda Ramkobair is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Amanda Ramkobair.

Donation protected

Hi everyone. My name is Amanda/Savi and I’ve created this GoFundMe for my dad, Dianand Ramkobair, also know as Kabbie, who has been diagnosed with NMO (Neuromyelitis Optica).

NMO is a rare autoimmune disorder in which white blood cells and antibodies primarily attack the optic nerves and the spinal cord, but may also attack the brain. The damage to the optic nerves produces swelling and inflammation that cause pain and loss of vision; the damage to the spinal cord (which my dad is suffering from) causes weakness or paralysis in the legs or arms, loss of sensation, and problems with bladder and bowel function. This disease is so rare , especially in the Caribbean that the doctors are not 100% sure how to properly treat it

It is now over 5 months since my dad fell ill, and since then, his condition has gotten worse. After the first attack, my dad was partially paralysed from his waist down and was dependent on a catheter. Due to this, he was sent to Trinidad & Tobago via air ambulance. His diagnosis was officially confirmed in T&T and his treatment began, physical therapy included.

At this point, we thought it will only get better. However, shortly after my dad was discharged, he later had to be readmitted because of complications he was facing. He struggled with low blood count levels, as well as having no bowel movements, which eventually led to an ulcer in his colon. This caused intense bleeding, which one day got extremely bad that he almost bled out and became unconscious. An emergency blood transfusion was required. He then underwent his first surgery.

In time, dad was sent back to the British Virgin Islands to continue his treatment and recovery journey. However, while travelling, the bleeding returned, and he was readmitted to the hospital in the BVI. Since then, he’s been back and forth to the hospital for different complications, at least every couple of weeks. Eventually, my dad was back home and we were happy to have him home, watching him improve little by little, but that was short lived..

On October 11, everything changed when my father experienced a 2nd attack. Dad was in a critical state. He was unresponsive. His body was extremely weak and he was in intense pain for more than 24 hours. The carbon dioxide levels in his body were also high and as such, he couldn’t breathe properly. He has been in the hospital since (finally out of ICU), however, he is paralysed, this time from his neck down. As such, my dad requires continuous medical treatment of steroids and rituximab especially (every 3 months). Additionally, he needs to undergo intense long term physical therapy. Thus, any financial donations will be towards his recovery journey as currently, I am the only one working. My mom has to take care of my father. My sister had to relocate to the BVI to help mom and my dad. Additionally, my mother has already used up all their savings. We have exhausted all our options including the financial help we received from close families and friends.

We will be so grateful for anything you can give, no matter how small. We would also be grateful if you can share this post, to help us reach as many people as possible. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read and share this story.

Despite everything that my dad went through thus far, he continues fighting. No once has he ever talked about giving up. He’s one of the most hard working man, the best father to my sister and I, and husband to our mom. Please keep us and my dad in your prayers.

(Side note): I’m aware this is in pounds £. That’s because GoFundMe isn’t available in the BVI. So naturally, because I’m in the U.K., it’s in £. You shouldn’t have any issues donating if you use USD$ or any other currencies, because it will be converted once the transaction is completed. What I will advise though, is to do the conversion on Google, just to ensure you are donating the amount you actually want to donate. If you have any issues, please reach out.