Main fundraiser photo

Jasmine Raine's fight against leukaemia

Donation protected
Hello everyone,

Jasmine was 18 months old when she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in December 2018. The diagnosis has turned her parents’, Festus and Omolola Raine, lives upside down. Jasmine is their only child and they have dedicated the past year to getting her the treatment she needs. She underwent induction and consolidation phases of chemotherapy in 2019 however 6 months ago, she relapsed. Jasmine is now going through re-induction therapy. Her only option to survive is to travel abroad for a bone marrow transplant. Paediatric bone marrow transplantation is not available anywhere in Nigeria and so this means travelling to South Africa where bone marrow transplants cost 876,00 Rand (approx. $60,000). Omolola has just finished her midwifery training in Nigeria and so the family have been struggling to pay for Jasmine’s off Festus’ salary.

Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia has fantastic survival rates when treated aggressively, with 90% of children under 14 years old being cured in developed countries. This figure drops significantly low-to-middle income countries such as Nigeria. This has multiple reasons but is in part related to poor access to treatment and the use of drugs with poor potency. Jasmine's has exhausted all treatment options available in Nigeria but still she still has a good chance of survival if her family can raise enough money to take her abroad for further therapy.

Jasmine’s parents have become close friends of mine since spending a month in Gwagwalada last summer. I have seen first-hand their commitment to provide the best for their daughter and it would mean so much to all of us if Jasmine could get the care she so desperately needs. This campaign aims to cover Jasmine’s medical costs. We would all be immensely grateful for any donations you can manage to help this little angel survive – no matter how small!

We are all more than happy to answer any questions you have about the campaign - feel free to get in touch at [email redacted]


Jasmine’s story (written by Festus, Jasmine’s father):
Jasmine was diagnosed with leukaemia at 18 months old in December 2018. It was our 3rd year of marriage. She's our first and only child. I was away on a business trip when she was diagnosed. When I got back to Abuja, I rushed down to the hospital, that was when my wife told me about it. I started crying, I didn't know what to say, what to do or where to start from. The doctor we met told us that none of the patients they had treated has survived. Meanwhile, my daughter had stopped walking, stopped eating and could not even crawl anymore. She was running a very high temperature and couldn't sleep at night.

We knew we had to move fast but we didn't know where to get the money from. My wife was in school for her Post Basic Nursing which was to last for 18 months so she had not been working and I had two students to take care of. We spent Christmas in the hospital, we didn't even know it was Christmas until we saw people coming into the hospital to give us Christmas present.

It’s a tough time in our lives; the financial strain, clinic visits, the side effects of chemo and the constant possibility of unexpected hospital admissions. In the background of it all was the unspoken worry: Will our daughter get through this? But with the help from God and the love and support from our family, friends and the doctor in charge of the case, the journey has been easier. I have learned so many life lessons in this journey and for that, I am truly grateful. One of the things I have learnt is the importance of support and positive energy and unconditional love. My wife's positive energy has been a great encouragement and the unconditional love I have for our daughter keeps me going. Because of the confidence we have in God, we are certain that one day our daughter will be able to say, "I am a child cancer survivor." I can't wait for that day!!!

Donate

Donations 

  • Anonymous
    • £15 
    • 4 yrs
Donate

Organizer

Annie Brunskill
Organizer

Your easy, powerful, and trusted home for help

  • Easy

    Donate quickly and easily.

  • Powerful

    Send help right to the people and causes you care about.

  • Trusted

    Your donation is protected by the  GoFundMe Giving Guarantee.