Campaign Update – December 13

It is with profound sadness that we share that Helen (Ling) Liu passed away peacefully this morning, December 13, at 10:00 a.m. at Sunnybrook Hospital, surrounded by love.

After months of unimaginable strength and courage in her battle with Still’s disease, Helen is now at rest. Her family is heartbroken, but grateful that she is no longer suffering.

On behalf of Paul and their two young daughters, we want to thank every single person who has donated, shared this fundraiser, sent messages, and kept Helen and her family in their thoughts. Your kindness, generosity, and support have meant more than words can express during this incredibly difficult journey.

Funds raised will now go toward:

The love shown by this community has brought comfort during the darkest days, and the family is deeply grateful to everyone who has stood with them.

Please continue to keep Paul and the girls in your thoughts as they navigate the days ahead.

With heartfelt thanks,

Johanna

募款更新｜12 月 13 日

我們懷著無比沉痛的心情通知大家，Helen（Ling）劉女士於 12 月 13 日上午 10:00，在 Sunnybrook 醫院安詳辭世，在家人與摯愛的陪伴下走完人生最後一程。

在與史迪爾氏症（Still’s disease）長期而艱辛的抗爭後，Helen 終於得以安息，不再承受病痛的折磨。家人雖然心碎萬分，卻也感謝她能平靜離開。

謹代表 Paul 以及他們的兩位年幼女兒，衷心感謝每一位捐助、分享募款資訊、傳遞祝福與關懷的朋友。大家的善意、支持與愛，為這個家庭在最黑暗的時刻帶來了莫大的安慰與力量。

後續募得的款項將用於：

這份來自社群的愛與關懷，對家人而言意義深遠。感謝大家一路以來的陪伴與支持。

請持續為 Paul 與兩位孩子送上祝福與關懷。

誠摯感謝，

Johanna

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My name is Johanna and I’m a family friend of Helen (Ling) and her husband. I’ve created this fundraiser because their family has been overwhelmed emotionally and financially, and they need our community’s support now more than ever.

For the past eight months, Helen (Ling) Liu has been fighting a battle few could ever imagine.

What began as unexplained high fevers and seizures quickly spiraled into a life-threatening medical journey. Helen (Ling) spent months in and out of the hospital without answers, enduring pain and uncertainty no family should ever have to experience.

In May, she was finally diagnosed with Still’s disease, a rare and aggressive inflammatory condition. Doctors were hopeful that a specialized experimental medication from Europe could help stabilize her. But the cost was overwhelming — $6,000 per month, entirely out of pocket. Despite the financial strain, Helen’s family pushed forward with hope.

In June, Helen (Ling) was briefly well enough to return home, and for a moment, there was light. But in July, her condition took a heartbreaking turn. She suddenly lost mobility and required multiple emergency hospital readmissions as the disease progressed rapidly with severe complications.

Today, Helen (Ling) is in a semi-vegetative state and is intubated, relying on machines to help her breathe. Her body has been under such extreme stress that she has required over 10 blood transfusions in just three weeks. Her medical team has expressed profound concern over her prognosis, and the family is now faced with the devastating possibility of making end-of-life decisions to ease her suffering.

Helen (Ling) is a devoted wife to Paul and the loving mother of two young daughters, Isabella (age 6) and Ella (age 12), who are struggling to understand why their mother cannot come home.

This crisis has pushed the family beyond emotional limits — and now, financial ones. Months of hospitalizations, the extreme cost of life-saving medication, missed work, and emergency care needs have exhausted every savings they had. As they prepare for the unknown, including potential funeral expenses, they are overwhelmed and unable to face these burdens alone.

How Your Support Will Help

Your donations will go directly toward:

Your kindness will help relieve an overwhelming financial burden and allow the family to focus on loving, supporting, and caring for Helen (Ling) during the most devastating chapter of their lives.

Thank you for opening your heart to Helen’s family. Please consider donating and sharing this campaign to help us reach as many people as possible.

___________________________

援助 Helen（Ling）劉女士的家庭，度過這場毀滅性的醫療危機

我是 Johanna，是劉家的好友。我發起這次募款，希望能在這個極其困難的時刻，協助 Helen（Ling）及其家人面對巨大的經濟與生活壓力。

在過去的八個月裡，Helen（Ling）一直在經歷一場難以想像的生命煎熬。

她最初出現不明原因的高燒與癲癇發作，多次進出醫院，卻始終無法找到病因。在漫長的不確定與痛苦中，家人日夜守在她的身旁，盼望奇蹟的出現。

直到五月，她才被診斷為Still’s Disease（史迪爾氏症）——一種罕見且侵略性的自身免疫慢性炎症疾病。醫生寄望於一種來自歐洲的實驗性藥物，希望能控制病情。然而這款藥物並未被加拿大公費醫療覆蓋，費用高達 每月 6,000 加元。即便如此，家人仍咬緊牙關承擔，希望能為 Helen 爭取一線生機。

六月，Helen 的病情稍有改善，她得以短暫回家，給家人帶來一絲希望。然而到了七月，她的情況急轉直下，突然失去了行動能力，並因病情惡化與併發症多次再次入院。

如今，Helen 處於 半植物人狀態，需 **插管（氣切/呼吸器）**維持呼吸。在短短三週內，她的身體已承受超過 10 次以上的輸血。醫療團隊對她的預後極為憂心，家人正面臨著極為沉痛的抉擇——是否該讓她不再承受無盡的折磨。

Helen 是一位慈愛的妻子，也是兩位年幼女兒（6 歲與 12 歲）的母親。孩子們每天都在問：「媽媽什麼時候可以回家？」這樣的現實，令家屬心碎不已。

這場危機不僅讓家庭在情感上承受極大痛苦，也使他們承受了沉重的經濟壓力。儘管加拿大的公費醫療覆蓋住院與 ICU 費用，但以下開支仍完全落在家庭身上：

在這個極度艱難的時刻，我們希望能為這個家庭建立一個支撐的力量，使他們不必獨自承受所有壓力。