Naudia L. with a bone marrow transplant

My name is Carmel and I met Naudia in the summer of 2023 at VBS. I was immediately struck by her kindness! She was constantly making sure all of the younger children felt included and is a darling young lady. As her friends and family, we are gathering to raise money to help Naudia with a bone marrow transplant in May. Her mother has shared her story here:

Naudia is 9 years old and was first diagnosed with Sickle Cell Anemia at birth through her newborn screen. Sickle Cell is when, instead of her blood cells being circle, they are crescent shaped and this blocks the blood flow, causing extreme pain. She has been in and out of children's hospitals all her life due to her pain crisis and other episodes due to her disease. She has undergone brain surgery for her Moya Moya Disease, which is a blockage of the blood vessels in her brain. She sees a hematologist and has to have chronic blood transfusions every month to help keep her from having a stroke, she has had multiple silent strokes in the past and can have one at any given time. She takes many medications every day to help with her disease. She is currently undergoing treatments at home due to a high iron count in her liver. She receives iv chelation every night through a port she had put in. She needs a bone marrow transplant to help her and possibly cure her sickle cell and save her life. I am Yolanda, her mother and donor. In May, I have to relocate myself and my four other children (over 150 miles away) to Indianapolis for three months to live while Naudia gets chemotherapy and prepares for the transplant. This means providing housing, nutrition, childcare and transportation to and from the hospital. We appreciate your help and support during this time. And we always appreciate your prayers! Thank you!

News clips:

1. Spotlight on America blood transfusion day.

2. The National desk: Emergency Rooms not well-prepared to care for seriously ill children video and photos of the Lewis family