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Help Helena Recover from Post-Dengue Autoimmune Paralysis
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£1,161 raised of
34 donations
On 30 August 2026, my 60-year-old mother, Helena Kreuger, was admitted to Sonja Kill Memorial Hospital in Kampot, Cambodia, suffering from severe dengue fever. Within 48 hours, a rare and severe complication arose: her immune system suffered a catastrophic post-viral reaction known as Bickerstaff Brainstem Encephalitis (BBE) overlapping with Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS).
In simple terms, her immune system cleared the dengue virus but mistakenly turned against her own central and peripheral nervous systems. This caused complete quadriplegia, blunted cranial reflexes, and shut down her autonomous drive to breathe, requiring immediate mechanical life support in the ICU.
The Critical Turning Point: She Is Waking Up and Fighting
We have received extraordinary news from her medical team over the last few days:
- Her brain structure is completely normal: An urgent CT scan ruled out stroke, bleeding, or brain damage, confirming that her paralysis is purely autoimmune and fully reversible.
- She is responsive: Helena has regained control of her eye movements, closes her eyes tightly when asked, and nods her head to communicate.
- Successful Airway Surgery: Today, Monday 14 September, surgeons successfully performed a tracheotomy. This replaces her invasive oral breathing tube with a secure, comfortable airway designed to protect her lungs and support her over the weeks needed to wean off the ventilator.
- Starting Targeted Immunotherapy: Her medical team is now administering IVIG (Intravenous Immunoglobulin) to neutralize the rogue antibodies and stop further nerve inflammation.
Why We Urgently Need Your Support
Helena moved to Cambodia to enjoy her retirement and fell ill before local private expat insurance was completed. As her son coordinating her survival from abroad, I am managing her medical crisis directly.
Thanks to immediate family support, we were able to settle her initial ICU invoice of £7,418.94 ($10,097.77 USD). However, the road ahead requires intensive, prolonged medical therapy:
- IVIG Immunotherapy Course: The hospital was able to procure IVIG (immunoglobulin therapy) which was £ 3,32.69 ($4,500 USD) alone. This treatment includes 32 injections for this therapy over the next few days/weeks.
- Ongoing ICU & Step-Down Care: Even with Sonja Kill’s charitable subsidies, continuous mechanical ventilation, specialized medications, and intensive nursing care cost hundreds of dollars each day.
- Months of Neurological Rehabilitation: Rebuilding nerve signals and retraining her muscles will require daily physiotherapy, speech/swallowing therapy, respiratory consumables, and dedicated full-time caregiving once discharged.
Every pound donated goes directly to Helena’s hospital accounts, critical medications, and post-ICU rehabilitation. If you are unable to donate, sharing this link with your network or keeping Helena in your thoughts provides immense strength to our family.
Thank you for standing with Helena in her fight to walk and breathe on her own again
Organizer
