Dear Friends, Family, and Kind Supporters,
I am reaching out with a heavy heart and hopeful spirit to ask for your support for my goddaughter Anna Somers, the daughter of my best friends Millie and Joseph. Anna Banana is a bright, beautiful 5-year-old—an energetic, unicorn-loving Disney princess who fills every room with song and dance. Her laughter, imagination, and love for life shine through everything she does. But Anna is also facing Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD), a rare and heartbreaking genetic disease that is changing her world far too soon.
MLD is a rare, progressive, and life-threatening genetic disease. It attacks the brain and nervous system, causing children to lose the ability to walk, speak, eat, and eventually breathe on their own. This disease does not wait, and neither can we.
Each day matters. Each moment matters.
Anna is still a little girl who deserves to play, laugh, and feel safe in the arms of those who love her. But her condition is progressing, and her family is facing overwhelming medical needs, including specialized treatments, therapies, adaptive equipment, and urgent travel to medical specialists. The emotional weight is crushing, and the financial burden is more than any family should bear alone. Watching a child face something so cruel and unfair is beyond heartbreaking. Despite everything, Anna continues to show incredible strength, resilience, and a beautiful light that touches everyone around her.
Her devoted parents are facing the unimaginable, and every dollar raised through this GoFundMe will go towards caring for Anna and supporting her family as they navigate this new norm. Donations will help ease Anna's medical care and the daily challenges that come with this diagnosis. They will help cover the immense medical costs that come with MLD, including specialist visits, hospital stays, therapies, medications, and medical equipment that insurance does not fully cover. Funds will also help with travel and lodging, as accessing MLD specialists often means traveling far from home.
Your generosity will help provide Anna with comfort, and the best possible quality of life through physical, occupational, speech, and palliative therapies. Donations will also support adaptive equipment, home modifications, and in-home nursing care so Anna can be safe, comfortable, and surrounded by love in her own home.
MLD affects every aspect of daily life. Contributions will also help with everyday and unexpected expenses when work is missed, routines are turned upside down, and every moment is focused on meeting Anna’s needs.
By giving, you are helping preserve moments of joy—moments where Anna can still sing, dance, and be the magical little girl she is. You are lifting a tremendous burden from her family and allowing them to focus on what matters most: loving Anna with their whole hearts, every single day.
♡ Thank you for wrapping Anna Banana in love, compassion, and support. ♡✨
With gratitude and hope,
Anna’s God Mother- Jacqueline
& Her Aunties