In July 2026, our world completely shattered. Me Grassia Issa and My Husband Alphonse Assaf looked down at our beautiful, sweet 5-month-old baby girl, Leandra Assaf, and had to face the most terrifying reality a parent can imagine. Our daughter was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type 1.
SMA is a cruel, rapidly progressive genetic disorder that destroys the nerve cells controlling voluntary muscle movement. Just a few weeks ago, we noticed she was losing her strength—she could no longer hold her head up during tummy time, and her kicks became weaker. We never could have imagined these quiet signs meant her body was fighting a aggressive disease that quickly takes away a baby’s ability to sit, roll over, swallow, and eventually, breathe. Without immediate treatment, most children with SMA Type 1 do not survive past their second birthday.
As her parents living in Lebanon, we are watching the clock tick down in absolute terror. Every day we wait, SMA steals a little more of our baby's strength.
The Miracle Treatment We Cannot Afford:
There is a profound beacon of hope. A groundbreaking, one-time gene therapy injection called Zolgensma can stop this disease permanently by replacing her body's missing gene.
But we face a devastating barrier: Zolgensma costs approximately $2.5 million USD.
This life-saving medicine is entirely out of reach for our family. We need a miracle from the global community to save our daughter's life.
How Your Donation Reaches Her
Because GoFundMe does not operate or allow direct bank withdrawals inside Lebanon, her uncle, Alain Assaf, is launching and managing this fundraiser from his home in Canada.
To maintain absolute transparency and trust for our donors:
• All funds are being securely processed and held in Canadian Dollars (CAD) within Alain Assaf’s verified Canadian bank account.
• 100% of these donations will be wired directly from Canada, part of them will used to pay the specialized medical team and hospital handling her care to cover her Zolgensma infusion, specialist therapies, respiratory equipment. Another part will be used to cover travel expenses to specialized SMA hospitals in the region since the medicine does not exist in Lebanon, it exists only in some gulf countries such as United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
• Total Transparency: We will post public updates right here on this page—including official hospital invoices, bank transfer receipts, and video updates of Leandra—so you can track exactly how your generosity is saving her life.
Every Action Counts
We want to see our little girl take her first steps, say her first words, and live the long, beautiful life she deserves. If you are able to donate, please know that no amount is too small—every single dollar bridges the gap between our baby and her medicine.
If you cannot donate, you can still perform a powerful act of love by sharing her link with your friends, family, coworkers, and online communities.
Thank you for your compassion, your prayers, and for standing with our family to give Leandra a fighting chance.