My muscles are dying! Help me stay alive!

Thank you for your donations to my daughter's previous fundraiser. Unfortunately, we failed to raise the required amount on time, and Natalka didn't undergo gene therapy. Now it's too late to start the treatment because of her age and weight. She missed the chance forever, and my heart shattered into a million pieces. 

Here's our story:

Natalka suffers from type 1 SMA - spinal muscular atrophy, a deadly and ruthless disease that wants to take away our beloved child. 

There were no warning signs of the drama. When Natalka was born, she received an Apgar score of 10. I was convinced she was perfectly healthy! Unfortunately, as it turned out later, she wasn’t. 

When Natalia was five months old, her every attempt to sit ended in disaster. She became weak and could barely hold her head up. She also didn't roll from tummy to back. I was worried, so I took her to the specialists, who told me I was overly sensitive. On the day Natalia turned one year old, the doctors diagnosed her with type 1 SMA! I knew nothing about that disease, though. I thought it was curable!

I was wrong. It was deadly. Spinal muscular atrophy is a cruel genetic disorder that takes away the muscle strength in arms and legs. Within several months, a child loses the ability to breathe independently and must be put on a ventilator to survive. 

It is heartbreaking to see your child unable to breathe on his own. It makes you feel like there's no hope left. The diagnosis came as a shock to me. I cried so many nights! My baby girl couldn't even hold her head up or reach to grab a snack. 

I experienced situations no parent would wish to end up in. 

SMA almost took away my daughter. Sometimes, I didn't know whether my baby girl would wake up the next day. Those were the worst moments of my life. Pneumonia caused breathing difficulties and made her weak. I couldn't do anything. I just watched her fight for life. She was in a critical condition. Although the doctors saved her, her health was still in danger. 

Since my daughter might not survive another infection, I make sure she has a proper diet and a strong immune system. A child with SMA loses muscles each day, and even contracting the mildest infection or choking on something can be deadly. Natalka dreams of being able to walk like other children and help her mom, lift a glass of water - and stay alive. 

Many times, I stood by her crib in fear of her life. I dreamed of the moment when the doctors removed all the cannulas and tubes from her body, and I would finally take her in my arms. 

Currently, Natalka is administered the drug that slows down the progress of the disease. However, she still cannot sit or roll from tummy to back. She uses a wheelchair, and her scoliosis is progressing. Caring for her resembles caring for a newborn who must be changed, washed, and dressed. 

I also have a son with disabilities (congenital disorders and nervous system disorders). Fabian cannot read or write. It makes our situation even more difficult. It gets worse every day. Sometimes, I wonder what will happen to my children when I'm gone. Who will take care of them? The options that come to my mind make me go weak at the knees. 

This is why I am doing my best to provide my daughter with at least a minimum of physical therapy so that she can become independent in the future. 

The annual cost of Natalia's rehabilitation is terrifying - it's a whopping amount of 140,000 zlotys! She should also attend at least three rehabilitation camps a year. She requires a special diet and medical and orthopedic equipment, which I cannot afford. Although I need physical therapy myself, my children need it even more. Their health and future are more important! 

As a mother, I am begging you to stay with us. Please save my child and help me slow down the progress of the terrible disease. Every donation offers Natalia a chance for a better future! 

Mom