Donation protected
Luna was a healthy and bubbly four-year-old girl from Vietnam. In February 2022, Luna contracted COVID-19. Although she recovered, the damaging effects of COVID-19 crippled her immune system, resulting in her developing a rare autoimmune disorder called hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). HLH is an aggressive condition caused by hyperactive immune cells infiltrating and attacking multiple organs in the body and is fatal if left untreated.
Initially, when the first high fever manifested in April 2022, Luna was admitted to a hospital in Vietnam. However, the doctors could not identify the cause for the persistent fevers and the pains Luna was suffering from. As Luna’s condition was deteriorating quickly, Luna’s mother, Thuy Linh Nguyen, decided to transfer Luna to National University Hospital (NUH) in Singapore in May 2022 with the hope that a more advanced medical system could save her daughter. Here, the doctors were able to establish a diagnosis for non-familial HLH and implemented a treatment plan, including chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Although the treatment temporarily stabilised Luna’s condition, due to the progressive and recurrent nature of Luna’s HLH case, doctors at NUH have advised an urgent paternal stem-cell transplant in December 2022 is Luna’s only chance of survival.
For the past five months, Luna’s mother has put her work and life on hold to care for Luna in Singapore. The family has exhausted all their savings and has taken out a loan for the first round of treatment, which cost over $300,000 AUD. For the bone-marrow transplant procedure in December, the fees are estimated to be another $600,000 AUD, including $150,000 for pre-operative chemotherapy, $300,000 for surgery, and $150,000 for post-operative care and recovery. On top of this, the family has additional expenses for rent, food, and transportation in Singapore.
I am organising this fundraising to help relieve the financial load for Thuy Linh who I have known since secondary school. While the cost of the stem-cell transplant procedure has been set, I’m setting an initial goal of $20,000 to get things started.
I am sincerely grateful for any contribution, as this would make a difference to Luna, Thuy Linh and their family. Please share this GoFundMe as widely as possible with your friends and family to help Luna.
For more information on Luna’s story, please visit Thuy Linh's Facebook page
To learn more about HLH, please visit:
*Please note international donations must be made via Visa or Mastercard because these are the only accepted forms of payment by GoFundMe Australia. Information on payment options can be found at:
Organizer
Linh Ngo
Organizer
Clarinda, VIC