Hi, my name is Lida and I am fundraising for my lovely niece Olivia, an SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy) warrior. I hope that through this fund I will help my sister and her husband to cover some of the expenses that their daughter Olivia needs throughout her daily life such as medical, physio, occupational therapies, hydrotherapy sessions, as well as intensive courses that are currently available abroad.

Olivia was born on the 22nd of August 2020 in Greece. On 09/12/2020 she was diagnosed with SMA type 1 (spinal muscular atrophy), which is a severe disease in infants. Infants with type 1 have limited movement, can't sit without support, and have trouble breathing, feeding, and swallowing. The natural progression of the disease means the diagnosis is terminal and most infants do not live to see their second birthday. The outcome in the patient’s life has changed in recent years due to the availability of new therapies that target the underlying genetic cause of the disease. However, these therapies will only slow or halt the disease but are unlikely to reverse the damage done before the treatment.

At the moment there is no cure for SMA, only treatments. Olivia can’t walk, crawl or stand independently but myself and her family will do our best so that one day she will stand on her own without support. But the first and most important thing is that Olivia has a good overall health and comfortable life from now on, as normal infections and illnesses, such as a simple chest infection, can be very serious for her. The good thing is that SMA does not affect Olivia’s cognitive ability. She remains a bright, alert and clever little girl, curious about everything she sees and eager to experience life

Olivia needs a lot of specialized care at home, which her parents already provide:

Needs in coming years:

Covering the above expenses in the coming years will be not only expensive but also extremely stressful. The cost of physiotherapy, occupational therapy, medical supplies, hospital expenses and time off of work is more than we can cover. These are some of the things Olivia is going to need funds for:

I am creating this fundraiser as I want to help her and my sister's family in any way I can, and do everything in my power to contribute to a better future for this little girl.

All money raised will be used in order for Olivia to have the best quality of life.

Her family constantly donates all of the equipment that Olivia doesn’t need anymore or grows out of to SMA families in need all over Europe, and they will continue to do so.

Any donation, no matter how big or small, will mean a lot to Olivia. She is an amazing little girl that will touch the lives of many and I just want to make sure that she can get the best quality of life possible.

Thanks for your help and support.

Lida

Family of a rare princess