A two-year-old Connemara girl whose fight for survival has defied all odds, and amazed doctors and family alike, is looking for help.
Mia Allen from Casla was born eight weeks prematurely and had to be resuscitated immediately due to respiratory distress, acute renal failure, and little brain activity. Her parents were told she would never smile, never be vocal and that her head would be misshapen. Luckily none of these predictions was true. Today Mia smiles, makes sounds, and her head is a perfect shape.
Mia has now been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, believed to be due to severe brain damage she suffered.
Her family wish to take her to China for stem cell treatment, which could improve her quality of life, and allow brain damage that occurred at birth to be partially reversed.
Cerebral palsy is the best responder to umbilical cord stem cells. In 20 children on whom the family have follow up information on, about 85 per cent had mild to significant improvement within a five month follow-up period. One of the first signs of improvement is muscle tone, often followed by an increased vocabulary, socialsation and improved comprehension.
Family friends have launched the Mia’s Hope.ie appeal to help raise the €40,000 needed to send the young girl and her parents to China for the treatment.
As part of fundraising efforts there will be a Texas Hold ‘em poker night in Padraicin’s Furbo Co Galway on Friday September 25. Commencing at 9pm sharp, admission is €20. For further information visit www.miashope.ie Direct donations can be made to AIB Spiddal, sort code 937401 account number 20689053 for information phone 085 8216609.
