Hello Friends!

 

I've decided to post this fundraiser to create an easy way for friends and family of Lyric, Gemma and Kaliya to help get them closer to their goal of getting Lyric back to health and back to school.

 

This family has gone through a harrowing experience with Covid and now has a "best guess" diagnosis of "Dysautonomia and Post Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome" with plans for possible treatment. While it is a relief to have an idea of a diagnosis, so much is still unknown and up in the air. Much of Lyric's treatment and recovery will be possible with the support of the Children's Hospital and therapies accessed here in Canada. There is however a treatment called "Mesenchymal Stem Cell therapy" that can be received in Mexico. This fundraiser is specifically to raise funds for Lyric to be able to access this treatment. Gemma has extensively researched this option and feels as though it is their best chance for helping her.

 

I just know that if my child was affected so terribly by an unexpected illness, I would do everything in my power to access any treatment that may lessen their suffering.

 

For those of you who don't know, Gemma is a single mom, full-time university student herself, working nights at the airport. The costs of treatments, medications, and supplements, along with missed work and paying for L’s empty apartment and tuition for University, have added up and Gemma is taking out a loan to access this treatment.

 

The cost is $8500 plus travel costs for the 3 of them. I wanted to start this gofundme to help take some of the financial stress off of the family. Gemma thanks everyone who has already reached out and sent meals, and support.

 

To catch everyone up on what has happened in the last few months, here is a bit of a backstory:

In the fall of 2019, Lyric started high school like most kids her age, unaware of how different that experience would end up being. She had a great first semester, but shortly after that Covid hit and the world stood still. The first few weeks were full of many disappointments. Schools closed indefinitely, and there were many heartbreaking cancellations:  a trip to Japan with her best friend, DragCon, her year-end figure skating show, and the Robotics World Championship that she had qualified for.

 

Rather than focus on what she couldn’t do, she decided to focus on what she could. She decided to work hard and graduate two years early since she wouldn’t get that “high school experience” either way. At the same time, she completed a year of education to be a Veterinary Tech Assistant through Olds College. She was determined to start her journey towards becoming a veterinarian, and got herself accepted to Vet School in Europe and got top marks -  no small feat after mostly teaching herself and writing entry exams in the middle of the night due to the time zone difference.  She is such an impressive and inspiring young person, I am proud to know her and happy that my own children draw inspiration from her.

 

In Sept 2021, at just 16, she moved across the world alone, started vet school, got her own apartment, and made friends from around the world. She was excited to come home for Christmas, but just as excited to get back to school.

 

A few days before she was due to fly back, she tested positive for Covid.  As a healthy kid, with no underlying health issues and double vaccines, they weren’t overly concerned.  They were almost relieved to be “getting it over with”.  Within the first 48 hours, it became clear that her version was much more serious than her sister’s (who tested positive the same day).  As the weeks became months, she stayed sick.  Gemma took her to doctors, the Children’s Hospital, a naturopath, osteopath, physiotherapist, contacted researchers, met with paediatricians, and got her in to see the top Paediatric Rheumatologist.  She has had extensive blood work, MRIs, ultrasounds and X-rays.

 

The current best guess is that Covid triggered too strong of an immune response in her, and her body attacked itself, specifically her autonomic nervous system, leaving her with Dysautonomia and Post Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. Her worst symptoms are daily vomiting, constant nausea, extreme joint, muscle and nerve pain, fluid and cysts in her abdomen with pain, severe insomnia, fainting, dizziness, heat intolerance, shortness of breath, and an irregular heartbeat. These are all effects of her autonomic nervous system no longer working effectively.  She has occasional days where it’s a bit better, and she pushes herself to be a normal teenager and see a friend, or walk around a store.  But these activities result in a massive flare of symptoms the next day, and she is becoming increasingly isolated. The doctors have been unable to offer any effective treatments or even symptom relief. They have offered a referral to a neurologist, but Lyric would likely switch from a being a paediatric patient to an adult patient while on the 1-3 year waitlist, and would have to start a new waitlist over again when turning 18.

 

She has been unable to return to school. Things that bring her joy, like playing the piano, being outside with friends, and drawing, all cause her joint pain. Simple tasks like having a shower make her dizzy and cause her to vomit.

 

Those of you who know her mom know she loves few things more than research, and has spent every spare minute reading medical journals looking for answers, and is going to take Lyric to Mexico for the Mesenchymal Stem Cell therapy. This is an approved treatment in Canada, but is currently only readily available to someone diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. In Ontario, they have successfully treated 30 long-Covid patients with similar symptoms as part of a clinical trial, but you must be an adult to be considered. In Europe and Central/South America, they’ve been using it for 8 years to treat dysautonomic conditions, post-viral inflammation, and autoimmune reactions. There is no guarantee it will work, but has created a full recovery in many people with the same Covid symptoms. There are minimal risks involved, and it feels like the next right step toward recovery. They will be going for a week to San Javier Hospital for the simple procedure in the near future.

 

Please share this fundraiser and donate if you can.  Every little bit helps.

 

Thank you :)

jess