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Emergency Appeal: Help Us Relocate for Life-Saving Medical Care
"We lost one son to this cruel disease. We are trying everything we can to prevent losing another. Please help us reach safety before it’s too late."
Imagine watching your child’s skin crack and bleed in front of your eyes every single day. Imagine knowing there is no cure, no treatment in your country, and no understanding from schools, doctors, or even your neighbours. Now imagine losing one of your children to this disease—and fearing that without urgent help, you may lose another.
My name is Faiza Azeem. I am a mother of four from Karachi, Pakistan. Two of my sons suffer from a devastating, incurable genetic skin disorder called Ichthyosis, one also diagnosed with Netherton Syndrome—a rare condition so severe, it makes their skin red, scaly, and vulnerable to life-threatening infections. Their bodies cannot regulate heat. Their skin doesn’t protect them. Their immune systems are fragile. One of my sons already died from sepsis caused by this condition. It is now beyond heartbreaking and I cannot bear to see my children in this pain. I feel helpless and it takes all my strength to put up a brave face in front of the children.
Every day is a battle for survival. A simple fever or a change in temperature can become a medical emergency. They can’t go to school—institutions refuse them because of how they look. They can’t play outside—the heat and dust in Pakistan worsen their symptoms dangerously. We’ve faced rejection, isolation, and medical negligence.
Our healthcare system simply does not understand or support this disease. Wrong prescriptions have nearly killed my son. My husband Azeemuddin Siddiqui has gone from pillar to post seeking help. His income is intermittent and I am a stay at home mother.
That’s why we are desperately trying to relocate to Turkey—to register our asylum claim and begin the long process of seeking humanitarian resettlement to Canada or another country where our children can receive proper care and protection.
But we cannot do this alone.
We need to raise USD 60,000 to cover visas, airfare, housing, medical evaluations, and survival expenses for our family of five. It’s a matter of life and death. If we stay here, we risk losing another child. We are not seeking luxury. We are simply trying to give our children a fighting chance for a life with dignity, access to treatment, and a little bit of hope.
This is not a plea for luxury. It is a plea for life.
Please donate whatever you can. Share our story. Every act of kindness brings us one step closer to safety and dignity for our sons. As a mother I beseech you to help me.