Sima is a foreigner living in Turkey, working as a freelancer to support herself. Until recently, she shared her home with her beloved puppy, her only companion. Sadly, severe allergies developed and turned her life upside down. Sima showed asthmatic allergies to all kinds of natural things, including grass, different kinds of trees, a specific type of mould that is found in the rain, cats and, worst of all, dogs! This means that she has difficulty breathing nearly all the time, day and night. With pain and tears, she had to separate from her puppy, a decision that broke her heart but was urgent and necessary for her health.

Despite daily asthma medications, Sima’s condition grew worse. Breathing became difficult, and no standard treatment brought lasting relief. For months, she relied on quick cortisone treatments, but these were only temporary and could not be sustained long-term.

Finally, in September 2025, doctors prescribed Xolair, a specialized treatment given every two weeks. Sima needs three injections per session, at a cost of around USD 1,000 (currently around TL 42,000) per month. Determined to do everything possible to regain her health, work, and normal life, she had no choice but to begin the treatment immediately, even though the cost was overwhelming.

Sima had health insurance before being prescribed Xolair and was initially assured by staff that it would cover this medication. Unfortunately, when she went back to the hospital to receive treatment, she was told that her insurance would not cover the medication after all. By then, she had already paid a lot of money in insurance premiums and will need to continue paying monthly, yet still receive no support for the treatment she urgently needs.

Desperate for a solution, Sima even contacted Novartis, the company that produces Xolair, to ask for patient support or the possibility of installment payments. Sadly, she was told this medicine is not included in their patient support programs.

Now Sima is facing a heavy financial burden: nearly 9 more months of treatment at 1,000 USD per month lie ahead, if the medicine proves effective after the initial 4 months. The costs are far beyond what she can manage alone and there is no state support for foreigners in her position to fall back on in Turkey.

As her friends, we are starting this fundraiser to help Sima continue her treatment. Every contribution will go directly towards the life-saving medication that offers her the only path back to health, stability, and the ability to work and live normally again.

We have set an initial target to cover the first 4 months of treatment. Hopefully these four months will be a success and at that point we would look to increase the target to cover the remaining months.

Your kindness and support will help Sima breathe freely again — something most of us take for granted, but which for her has become the greatest struggle. And if the treatment shows the expected levels of effectiveness, maybe she could even be reunited with her pup.