Help Oliwia Walk Again

Oliwia was a happy 10 year old girl. She was shy and sensitive. She was an animal lover. She led and enjoyed normal life until 23rd July 2014. On that day she experienced pains in her left leg. She  came downstairs to have a lunch, sat down at the table and…it was a last time she has done it. Her left leg was not working, she felt huge pain in it and nothing else. She couldn’t move it at all. Few minutes after her right leg stopped function too. Everything was so sudden, we (the parents) didn’t know what was happening, it was so quick. It’s so hard to describe every memory we have on that horrible moment as it’s still so emotional for us. It’s was hard time. Then we went to care doc, hospital, transfer to Temple Street Children's University Hospital in Dublin by Ambulance and the worst news EVER.. After 24 hours we got the diagnosis: our daughter had Transverse Myelitis in her T12-L1. It’s very rare illness, it affects one person a million. Transverse myelitis is an inflammation of the spinal cord, a major part of the central nervous system.  Inflammation within the spinal cord interrupts communications between nerve fibers in the spinal cord and the rest of the body, affecting sensation and nerve signalling below the injury. Doctors did not find the cause of this illness. Oliwia was paralysed from her waist  down. Her bowels and bladder do not work. She also has an underactive thyroids. Her immune system does not work properly. Oliwia had course of 13 plasmpheresis steroids and many other course of medicines. She has spent 4 months in Temple Street Hospital and 3 months in National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire. She had to learn how to use wheelchair. Recently she has experience pain in her muscles and in her spine. Unfortunately pain killers and other pain relievers do not work, she is still in such a pain. The doctors make an suggestion to use a morphine to help her ease the pain but we (the parents) are afraid to use this very strong medicine, the morphine.

Personally I (the mother) know children who has the same disease as my daughter. Some of them got better and were able to walk again. I want the same for my little Oliwia. In order for her to walk she will need to go true few rehabilitations- each one costs around €6000. She is in need of using the Lakomat equipment. Between those rehabilitations she needs electrostimulations, special massages, visits to phycologists, visits in private clinics. All those are not funded by Irish government or medical card. We need to rise fund to help our daughter. We live in Carlow, my husband works, I (the mother) had to give up work to look after Oliwia. So far we have managed. Unfortunately our saving and gone and we no longer are able to pay for Oliwia’s expensive treatments. That’s why we have set up this fund page so we can kindly ask people with big hearts to donate some money. We need those fund so our daughter can live.