He lp f or Ma y a A Brave Girl Needs Your Support O ur da u gh t e r Ma y a w a s a ha ppy, hea lt h y bab y. B ut a lr ead y in kin de r ga rt e n, t he f irst si g ns a pp ea r ed She had d i ff i c ulty c onn ec tin g wit h ot he rs a n d e xp e ri e n ced e x c lusion ea rly on. Af t e r s e v e r e pn e umoni a a t age t h r ee , s he w a s p e rm a n e ntly ill, he r immun e syst e m w ea k e n ed I n e l e m e nt a ry s ch ool, t he pro b l e ms d r a m a ti ca lly wors e n ed C on ce ntr a tion d i ff i c ulti e s, ADHD , d ys ca l c uli a , a n d f in a lly ea rly ch il dh oo d de pr e ssion s ha p ed our da ily li fe De spit e int e nsiv e t he r a pi e s, Ma y a c ontinu ed to e xp e ri e n ce b ullyin g a n d so c i a l e x c lusion. 08 A Difficult Journey Begins The Fight for Mental Health The str e ss l ed to s e v e r e de pr e ssion wit h s e l f - ha rm a n d sui c i da l t h ou gh ts. I ga v e up my jo b to be t he r e f or he r a roun d t he c lo c k. O ur da ily routin e c onsist ed o f e m e r ge n c y pl a ns, d o c tor visits, a n d a tt e mpts to c r ea t e st ab ility. Ma y a ’s b o d y r ef l ec t ed t he e motion a l b ur de ns: immun e syst e m c oll a ps e , f r e qu e nt h ospit a l st a ys, a d i ag nosis o f vitili g o (w h it e spot d is ea s e ), a n d c onst a nt m ed i ca l monitorin g de t e rmin ed our liv e s. The Scoliosis Diagnosis: A New Nightmare n Oc to be r 2019, w e r ece iv ed a not he r s e rious d i ag nosis: s c oliosis! N ot just a ny s c oliosis, b ut r a pi d ly pro g r e ssiv e s c oliosis. Wh il e ot he r ch il d r e n ha v e only a fe w deg r ee s o f de t e rior a tion p e r y ea r, Ma y a ’s spin a l c urv a tur e de v e lop ed r a pi d ly: f rom 20 deg r ee s to 79 deg r ee s in just 15 mont h s. The m ed i ca lly n ece ss a ry b r ace , w h i ch s he had to w ea r 23 h ours da ily, m ade he r so c i a l pro b l e ms e v e n wors e Ma y a fe lt e v e n mor e “ d i ffe r e nt” a n d wit hd r e w f urt he r. First Surgery: Hope and High Costs I n Ja nu a ry 2021, sur ge ry w a s un a voi dab l e We ch os e a n innov a tiv e m e t h o d – D yn a mi c Sc oliosis C orr ec tion – w h i ch w a s suppos ed to pr e s e rv e spin a l mo b ility. S in ce t h is m e t h o d w a s not y e t c ov e r ed b y hea lt h insur a n ce , w e had to priv a t e ly f in a n ce 25,000 e uros. The sur ge ry w a s m ed i ca lly su cce ss f ul: t he c urv a tur e r ed u ced f rom 79 to 22 deg r ee s. B ut e motion a lly, Ma y a r e m a in ed e x ha ust ed O n e da y s he s a i d to m e : “ Ma m a , I w a nt to liv e ... b ut I ha v e no mor e str e n g t h C oul d n’t you just put m e to sl ee p?” The s e wor d s a r e dee ply e t ched in my m e mory a n d s h ow h ow de sp e r a t e a n d he lpl e ss my ch il d w a s. Further Blows of Fate I n Ja nu a ry 2022, w e d is c ov e r ed a l a r ge tumor in Ma y a ’s b r ea st. The fea r w a s in de s c ri bab l e – af t e r e v e ryt h in g w e had a lr ead y bee n t h rou gh The tumor w a s f ortun a t e ly be ni g n, b ut t he sur ge ry w a s a not he r tr a um a The n my h us ba n d beca m e ill wit h ca n ce r in 2023. The fea r o f losin g b ot h my ch il d to de pr e ssion a n d my h us ba n d to ca n ce r b rou gh t m e to my limits. I n 2024, w e a r e f i gh tin g b ot h de pr e ssion a n d ca n ce r... A Brief Ray of Hope Whe n Ma y a w a s p e rm a n e ntly e x e mpt ed f rom c ompulsory s ch oolin g in 2025, s he slowly bega n to f louris h She w e nt to t he g ym, f oun d c onn ec tion in ch ur ch , a n d b uilt he r f irst sm a ll c ir c l e o f f ri e n d s. We pl a nn ed a volunt a ry so c i a l y ea r f or he r, a n d I c oul d f in a lly work aga in – it w a s t he f irst g limm e r o f h op e af t e r so m a ny d i ff i c ult y ea rs. The Next Shock A t t he f ollow-up a ppointm e nt in J un e 2025, t he s h o c k: t he e l a sti c cab l e f rom t he f irst sur ge ry had torn. The spin e w a s c urv ed aga in to 60 deg r ee s – wit h r a pi d de t e rior a tion. W it h out a not he r int e rv e ntion, Ma y a woul d e v e ntu a lly e n d up in a w hee l cha ir or ha v e imp a irm e nt o f or ga ns a n d b r ea t h in g d u e to spin a l def orm a tion. The Upcoming Surgery The only option is c ompl e t e spin a l f usion – a m a ssiv e pro ced ur e f rom t he s ec on d t h or ac i c v e rt eb r a to t he t h ir d lum ba r v e rt eb r a A ll d is c s must be r e mov ed , t he v e rt eb r ae f ix ed a n d s c r e w ed wit h two lon g m e t a l ro d s. I t is a f in a l, str e ss f ul pro ced ur e wit h un ce rt a in r e sults. A s p a r e nts, w e woul d g iv e a nyt h in g to sp a r e he r t h is. Why We Need Your Hel Ma y a still n eed s som e m ed i ca l a i d s, som e o f w h i ch ca n be c ov e r ed t h rou gh he r A m a zon wis h list. O v e r a ll, t h is c r ea t e s c osts o f s e v e r a l t h ous a n d e uros. E xp e ns e s a risin g f rom sur ge ry a n d r ehab ilit a tion – in c lu d in g acc ommo da tions n ea r t he h ospit a l, tr a v e l c osts, a n d priv a t e tr a nsport h om e Pa rti c ul a rly ur ge nt is t he ba rri e r- f r ee r e nov a tion o f t he ba t h room. Wha t is e sp ec i a lly c los e to our hea rts a s a fa mily: g ivin g Ma y a on e un f or ge tt ab l e mom e nt bef or e t he sur ge ry – f or e x a mpl e , a da y a t D isn e yl a n d R i de s a n d e xp e ri e n ce s t ha t s he lov e s so mu ch a s a t ee n age r will no lon ge r be possi b l e af t e r t he sur ge ry. The tim e af t e r t he op e r a tion will a lso be a g r ea t cha ll e n ge We w a nt to m a k e t h is p ha s e a s pl ea s a nt a s possi b l e f or he r – wit h st ab ility, s ec urity, a n d sm a ll joys t ha t g iv e he r c our age E v e ry b it o f support, no m a tt e r h ow sm a ll, w he t he r t h rou gh G o F un dMe or t h rou gh a n it e m f rom t he wis h list, he lps us acc omp a ny Ma y a on t h is d i ff i c ult p a t h a n d g iv e he r a pi ece o f joy a n d s ec urity in li fe Af t e r y ea rs o f ca r eg ivin g a n d d u e to my h us ba n d ’s illn e ss, our f in a n c i a l r e sour ce s a r e c ompl e t e ly e x ha ust ed We want this surgery to proceed as gently and humanely as possible, so that Maya doesn’t lose her zest for life. Every euro helps!!! Maya is, despite everything, a strong, faithful girl who doesn’t give up. She deserves a chance at a life worth living. Heartfelt thanks for your support and your prayers. Pete, Janine & Maya PLease click on images for links Our Request