SWIM FOR IDUNA

"I WILL SWIM FOR IDUNA...FUNDRAISER"

 

Where: De Uelenspieghel, Winkelsteeg 5 in Uffelte, Drenthe.

( www.uelenspieghel.nl )

 

When: February 19th 2022

 

Time: 13:00pm
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UPDATE...
Kia ora everyone
Just updating...been having problems releasing the donations directly into Birte's bank account so we've invited one of her personal friends to receive the donations so she can pass on to Birte and Iduna ♥️
Just keeping things transparent for you all
Once its sorted I'll post another Update.
Thank you all again so much, big aroha 
Toroa ♥️ 
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You all know Toroa's feelings about our "cold" winters here in Europe. You will also know of his passion for the Youth/Future of the World. Toroa will be paying forward.

He is going to overcome his FEAR of the cold for a cause very dear to his heart.

 

His dear friend's daughter, a young girl of 16 now, was a perfectly normal, healthy and happy child before Covid19.

 

For two years, since the age of 14, she suffers an immunodeficiency related to a Covid19-infection, known as Long Covid19.

 

Her name is Iduna and her last hope to get a dignified life back is a new blood therapy called H.E.L.P. Apheresis.

Health insurances do not cover any costs, as this form of therapy has not yet been officially accepted and Iduna is not yet an adult.

Mother and daughter are exhausted after two years, because Iduna is too weak for everything and needs assistance with every little daily act.

 

So, for this fundraising project to collect 5000€ to cover treatments, accommodation in Germany and transport, we are looking for donations, each little contribution is really precious and helps to save Iduna's life and to ease the faith of her Mum.

 

And so Toroa has stood and announced ...

 

"I WILL SWIM FOR IDUNA !!!"

 

Yes!!! He will SWIM in freezing waters to try and raise much needed funds for specialised medical/blood treatment (HELP Apheresis) in Germany for Iduna.

 

He will be joined by others for the swim to raise funds too. Others who wish to join are welcome ♥️ (he originally thought he'd be swimming alone)

 

........THEIR JOURNEY IN HER MUM'S WORDS

Thank you from my heart for taking the time to read it.

 

...Dear folks,

 

This is the story of my youngest daughter Iduna, a shining bright star before her illness, a very special empathic soul, an endlessly creative artist.

In springtime 2020 in the first lockdown she was running free through the woods behind our house, jumping like a deer from one side of the small creek to the other. Schools were  closed, the sky was blue and Iduna was happy.

I will never forget this picture because it was the last time I saw her like this.

 

Then we got Covid, it was not really bad – especially Iduna had got mild symptoms. So I thought we were lucky to get away with it like this. But I was competely wrong.

One week after, Iduna collapsed in the night and we went to hospital with emergency - her blood pressure was unbelievably low, I was not sure if she would make it.

A horror trip began, which lasts still today.

 

My child got more and more symptoms, from blurry vision, tinnitus, hallucinations, severe blood circulation problems, POTS, mast cell activation, dizzyness, head ache, stomach pain,  brain fog, nausea, gastroparesis to chest pain all day all night – this tortured her most, she said it felt like ice burning in her chest.... I was stunned how fast my daughter changed from a lively young girl to an exhausted, psychic and physically unstable old woman, who was not able on bad days to go up the stairs to her bedroom on the first floor without racing heartbeat and other problems.

 

We went on a journey from doctors to hospitals (too long and too complicated to tell everything).

Mostly they did not know what do do with her or stated that all her symptoms were out of hysteria or anxiety and I should send her to psychiatry. This feeling of not being taken seriously and without respect for her sheer suffering was an additional burden for Iduna although I tried my best to back her up.

Here in Austria, where we live, the medical support for Long Covid is  nearly non-existent, especially for children.

 

In December last year I found a group on facebook called Long Covid Kids.

There I saw many of Idunas symptoms reported by families from the UK – this was the breakthrough to recognise that it might be Long Covid.

Then we came to a good neurologist who has profound experience with Chronique Fatigue patients, which is a main issue of most Long Covid patients and of Iduna too. A time of slight improvement followed, with special Physiotherapy, Ostheopathy and Psychotherapy to help her in these hard times. Iduna has not attended school since March 2020 because she was too weak and unstable for it. This brought also a big isolation for her, not seeing her friends very much and not being able to do the things she was used to doing. But it brought a big present too:  She started singing and discovered her deep love for music and her extraordinary voice.

Now she is starting to learn Ableton Live, a professional sound recording program and is learning to play guitar.

I think this rescued her mentally….

 

But all these treatments, doctors and supplements needed a lot of money, I was not able to work any more because I am a single parent, there is no father at all and I could not leave my daughter alone – there could always occur dangerous situations and we never knew when exactly. So I dropped all my jobs and I am on a social help programm for people in maintenance but this is not much.

We could not afford the rent for our house in the countryside anymore and last May we had to move out and found a small cheap apartment in a nearby town. As I dont have a car this is helpful for organising our daily life but we miss the woods behind our garden and the voices of the animals at night and many other treasures we had.

 

The summer was some ups and downs, swimming was fine on good days, the heat was a problem and some additional heart issues got worse  - tachycardia, palpitations, dysautonomia. Her ribs and shoulders were unstable and since winter '21 she has lock jaw and some days she has problems with swallowing pills she should take.

This is because of an autoimmune response in the muscles, they get weaker everywhere.

 

So a bunch of troubles still – but everything was topped from the last eight weeks. I dont know why, but Iduna got so bad this November, she got strong palpitations, tachycardia by the smallest exertion or stress, even positive feelings, she got breathing problems when standing or walking and has to stay in bed therefore nearly all the time.

She took Cortisone for a week which made everything fine for some days but then the side effects came and she had to quit it and everything was like before.

We went into deep desperation, after one and half years of suffering, fighting and hoping again and again it was a total crash on all levels.  

 

The reason why we got a ray of hope again is that we found the HELP Apheresis – a special blood cleaning treatment  for Long Covid in Germany.

This is very expensive, one course costs around 1500 € and at least three courses would be needed to be succesful. But there are many people from all parts of the world going there in their desperation and many, many of them get really better.

 

Our dear friend Toroa is standing up to support this – I cannot say, how thankful I am for this.

 

We have to get Iduna better soon – she can not stand this nightmare any longer…. And me too, I am on the edge of my capacities.

 

 

So please, please support us with a possible amount for the treatments and the accommodation plus transport there.

Help a young girl to get her life back.

 

Thank you so much!