hi, my name is Starr Please help our beautiful 6 year old daughter Esmae fight a rare and life threatening illness.

Esmae is a happy, healthy, and energetic 6 year old autistic girl who loves life with her whole heart. Overnight, everything changed.

It started with her feeling a little poorly and a rash appearing on her stomach. Within hours the rash had spread across her whole body. At first, doctors believed it was a virus. But within a day she could no longer walk properly, couldn’t put any weight on her feet, and her temperature spiked to 40°C and wouldn’t come down.

We were rushed to our local hospital where she was started on antibiotics. Blood tests showed her CRP and Ferritin levels were dangerously high.

After eight days of tests and discussions with some of the top doctors in the UK, Esmae was transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Within 48 hours of arriving, she deteriorated rapidly and her condition became life threatening. The team had no choice but to begin chemotherapy (Etoposide) immediately. They soon diagnosed her with Macrophage Activation Syndrome (MAS) a rare and extremely serious condition where her immune system completely shut down and began attacking her own body. This is believed to have been triggered by Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (sJIA). She also suffered liver damage during this crisis.

While fighting for her life, both myself and her father had blood tests to check if this has a genetic cause. We are still awaiting those results, which may determine whether Esmae needs a bone marrow transplant.

Esmae is now starting to lose her hair from the treatment. She has a PICC line in place for the coming months and has developed a small blood clot in her arm. She is currently on a trial drug from the US and is beginning her journey into remission as she slowly regains her strength.

This has been the most terrifying and heartbreaking time of our lives. Watching our little girl go through so much pain, fear, and uncertainty has been devastating. We now face months of treatment, hospital visits, and recovery ahead, all while trying to keep our family together. Any donation, no matter how small, will help us support Esmae through this incredibly tough fight. The funds will go towards travel to and from the hospital, time off work to care for her, and helping us keep things stable at home during this long road to recovery.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for any love, prayers, or support you can send our way. Your kindness means the world to us.

Please share Esmae’s story if you can’t donate, every share helps.