Tahlia Ali "Breathe with Ease" Fundraiser
Donation protected
OUR MISSION - FREEDOM AND COURAGE FOR TAHLIA AND HER FAMILY TO LOOK AHEAD
I AM WRITING TODAY to introduce you all to my granddaughter Tahlia Ali and her family. Tahlia is a typical teenager, just having celebrated her 15 birthday. She is full of spunk with a sweet, loving personality. She is on her phone a lot and her fav app is TIC TOC. Tahlia has so many special friends for so many different reasons, and of course, they love to video chat back and forth. And you will never guess, they love to hang out at the mall together, sharing each other's hopes and dreams, laughs, Chinese food and Starbucks.
Tahlia's family is pretty normal. They live in Cole Harbour NS. Tahlia has two brothers, Taj and “Reesey”. Taj, her younger brother sometimes helps her out when she needs it but some of the time, she says, he can be annoying. Reesey, her older brother, has a good sense of humour, takes her places she needs to go if she doesn't have a drive, is a very, caring and loving older brother. They get along very well.
Tahlia's Mom and Dad love her dearly especially on Daddy-daughter day or when she's hanging with Mom doing all the the things that Mom's and daughters do, shopping, eating, make up, face masks, drawing, arts and crafts, and cooking, to mention just a few of those things.
Music and Theatre have been Tahlia's passion from a very early age. Last but not least, we can't forget to mention, Nugget, who she thinks is the cutest, most spoiled hamster ever!!
LET'S GO BACK a few years in our story. Tahlia celebrated her 7th birthday in hospital as a newly diagnosed patient with a rare disease called primary arterial pulmonary hypertension. After extensive testing, docs also discovered two holes in her heart. It was an overwhelmingly emotional time for our family. When she was diagnosed, we were told life expectancy was between 3 to 5 years. Tahlia's positive attitude and love for life has enabled her to surpass these odds. She has had amazing medical care from IWK Children's Hospital. However, annual visits to Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto has been her life saving grace since her diagnosis.
CURRENTLY, we are happy and so thankful to say that Tahlia has been listed for a double lung transplant and the two holes in her heart will be patched. This new development comes with mixed emotions for all of us. As Tahlia would say, it makes us all a little “nerve-cited”. An endearing term she coined at a very young age and one we all have adopted. Tahlia's journey to good health involves a relocation for her and her Mom, Lisa (my daughter) to Toronto. Lung Transplant is the only organ surgery that is not performed in Nova Scotia. Wait times for lung transplant is on average 6 to 9 months not to mention post-surgery general clinic routine in Toronto.
Meet Tahlia, interviewed by her friend CharlLee
OUR CAMPAIGN GOAL IS $30,000 with an immediate need initially of $10, 000 to support Tahlia and her Mom's first months following their move to Toronto on April 1st. Depending on the wait time for a donor match, estimated pre and post surgery expenses will cover air travel, food, accommodations, daily living expense etc.
AFTER A MONTH RECOVERY in hospital, the general clinic routine in Toronto following discharge is:
2 times a week for 2 weeks
1 time a week for 4 weeks
once a month for 3 months
after returning home, every 2 months until 1 year after transplant
every 3-6 months after that
MEDICATIONS AND TREATMENT programs for the rest of Tahlia's life consist of:
immunosuppressants, medication to weaken the immune system
medication to prevent infection
medication to treat viral infections
blood pressure medication
other common post transplant medications
magnesium supplements
PRIMARY ARTERIAL PULMONARY HYPERTENSION is a condition that affects the arteries of the lungs, hindering the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart. Over time, the lack of oxygenated blood delivered to the lungs causes the arteries to become progressively restricted. People living with PH suffer from continuous high blood pressure in the lungs, which results in an enlargement of the heart. If left untreated, this will often lead to heart failure.
https://phacanada.ca/Home
ORGAN TRANSPLANT Every year too many people die while waiting for an organ donation. Over 1,600 Canadians are added to organ wait lists yearly. A 90% majority of Canadians support organ and tissue donation but less than 20% have made plans to donate. Organs from only one donor can benefit more than 75 people and save up to 8 lives.
https://www.cantransplant.ca/organ/
NOVA SCOTIA to become first in North America with presumed consent for organ donation.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/presumed-automatic-consent-organ-donation-1.5081272
A SMALL INCUBATOR designed by a Toronto Surgeon is transforming how lung transplants are done in this country. It also means some Atlantic Canadians will no longer have to choose between near financial ruin and death.
https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/longform/the-breathing-machine
AFTER YOU'VE GIFTED, no matter the amount, whatever you can find in your heart to give, STAY WITH US! Our family will be eternally grateful. I will continue to post updates. Educate yourself about PH and ORGAN DONATION, spread the word. Share our links and our fundraiser with you contacts. Keep sharing even after we reach our fundraising goal. Individual donors, people like you and me, can make a difference. I want to make sure Tahlia and her family know there is a community of supporters that CARE and that her life matters. There is no time limit to set here. I would like to keep this page live. It could be a huge support for Tahlia going forward. Eventually, I would hope that Tahlia would send you her own updates and comments on how she is doing.
I AM WRITING TODAY to introduce you all to my granddaughter Tahlia Ali and her family. Tahlia is a typical teenager, just having celebrated her 15 birthday. She is full of spunk with a sweet, loving personality. She is on her phone a lot and her fav app is TIC TOC. Tahlia has so many special friends for so many different reasons, and of course, they love to video chat back and forth. And you will never guess, they love to hang out at the mall together, sharing each other's hopes and dreams, laughs, Chinese food and Starbucks.
Tahlia's family is pretty normal. They live in Cole Harbour NS. Tahlia has two brothers, Taj and “Reesey”. Taj, her younger brother sometimes helps her out when she needs it but some of the time, she says, he can be annoying. Reesey, her older brother, has a good sense of humour, takes her places she needs to go if she doesn't have a drive, is a very, caring and loving older brother. They get along very well.
Tahlia's Mom and Dad love her dearly especially on Daddy-daughter day or when she's hanging with Mom doing all the the things that Mom's and daughters do, shopping, eating, make up, face masks, drawing, arts and crafts, and cooking, to mention just a few of those things.
Music and Theatre have been Tahlia's passion from a very early age. Last but not least, we can't forget to mention, Nugget, who she thinks is the cutest, most spoiled hamster ever!!
LET'S GO BACK a few years in our story. Tahlia celebrated her 7th birthday in hospital as a newly diagnosed patient with a rare disease called primary arterial pulmonary hypertension. After extensive testing, docs also discovered two holes in her heart. It was an overwhelmingly emotional time for our family. When she was diagnosed, we were told life expectancy was between 3 to 5 years. Tahlia's positive attitude and love for life has enabled her to surpass these odds. She has had amazing medical care from IWK Children's Hospital. However, annual visits to Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto has been her life saving grace since her diagnosis.
CURRENTLY, we are happy and so thankful to say that Tahlia has been listed for a double lung transplant and the two holes in her heart will be patched. This new development comes with mixed emotions for all of us. As Tahlia would say, it makes us all a little “nerve-cited”. An endearing term she coined at a very young age and one we all have adopted. Tahlia's journey to good health involves a relocation for her and her Mom, Lisa (my daughter) to Toronto. Lung Transplant is the only organ surgery that is not performed in Nova Scotia. Wait times for lung transplant is on average 6 to 9 months not to mention post-surgery general clinic routine in Toronto.
Meet Tahlia, interviewed by her friend CharlLee
OUR CAMPAIGN GOAL IS $30,000 with an immediate need initially of $10, 000 to support Tahlia and her Mom's first months following their move to Toronto on April 1st. Depending on the wait time for a donor match, estimated pre and post surgery expenses will cover air travel, food, accommodations, daily living expense etc.
AFTER A MONTH RECOVERY in hospital, the general clinic routine in Toronto following discharge is:
2 times a week for 2 weeks
1 time a week for 4 weeks
once a month for 3 months
after returning home, every 2 months until 1 year after transplant
every 3-6 months after that
MEDICATIONS AND TREATMENT programs for the rest of Tahlia's life consist of:
immunosuppressants, medication to weaken the immune system
medication to prevent infection
medication to treat viral infections
blood pressure medication
other common post transplant medications
magnesium supplements
PRIMARY ARTERIAL PULMONARY HYPERTENSION is a condition that affects the arteries of the lungs, hindering the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart. Over time, the lack of oxygenated blood delivered to the lungs causes the arteries to become progressively restricted. People living with PH suffer from continuous high blood pressure in the lungs, which results in an enlargement of the heart. If left untreated, this will often lead to heart failure.
https://phacanada.ca/Home
ORGAN TRANSPLANT Every year too many people die while waiting for an organ donation. Over 1,600 Canadians are added to organ wait lists yearly. A 90% majority of Canadians support organ and tissue donation but less than 20% have made plans to donate. Organs from only one donor can benefit more than 75 people and save up to 8 lives.
https://www.cantransplant.ca/organ/
NOVA SCOTIA to become first in North America with presumed consent for organ donation.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/presumed-automatic-consent-organ-donation-1.5081272
A SMALL INCUBATOR designed by a Toronto Surgeon is transforming how lung transplants are done in this country. It also means some Atlantic Canadians will no longer have to choose between near financial ruin and death.
https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/longform/the-breathing-machine
AFTER YOU'VE GIFTED, no matter the amount, whatever you can find in your heart to give, STAY WITH US! Our family will be eternally grateful. I will continue to post updates. Educate yourself about PH and ORGAN DONATION, spread the word. Share our links and our fundraiser with you contacts. Keep sharing even after we reach our fundraising goal. Individual donors, people like you and me, can make a difference. I want to make sure Tahlia and her family know there is a community of supporters that CARE and that her life matters. There is no time limit to set here. I would like to keep this page live. It could be a huge support for Tahlia going forward. Eventually, I would hope that Tahlia would send you her own updates and comments on how she is doing.
Organizer
Judy Robichaud
Organizer
Halifax, NS