A young woman from Dublin has set up a GoFundMe page in the hopes of raising money to help afford treatment for her rare autoimmune disease.
The 24-year-old from Lucan explained that she is suffering from hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis - or HLH - which is a life-threatening condition, and her medical bills are putting major pressure on her family.
In HLH, the immune system begins to damage the patient’s own tissues and organs, including the liver, brain, and bone marrow where blood is made.
She is currently receiving treatment in Beaumont Hospital, with doctors admitting they have not dealt with a case of this condition in more than four years.
Doctors described the illness as being ‘on par with cancer,’ and it has resulted in the young woman having to give up her job.
On the GoFundMe page, she explained that: “We already had very significant financial issues before this so this does not help at all.
“Some of my symptoms include speech and walking issues/neurological issues. This website summarises things very well if you are interested in symptoms and treatment etc.”
The woman is undergoing treatment with a ‘heavy dose of steroids at the minute’ but she will likely need chemotherapy if things are not improving when she comes off them.
In her post, she wrote: “Hello everyone, I am a 24-year-old girl from Lucan, Dublin. I am currently battling a rare autoimmune condition called HLH. HLH stands for hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. It is a life-threatening condition. Mine is EBV induced just for additional context.
“Doctors in Beaumont haemotology department say the last time they came across this condition was about 4 years ago. When speaking to me and explaining it more, a doctor even said "it is not cancer but it is on par with cancer".
“I have had to give up a job I was supposed to start at the beginning of July. My mother has also been unable to return to work as she has had to become my full-time carer. She is all I have in terms of help.
“We already had very significant financial issues before this so this does not help at all. Some of my symptoms include speech and walking issues/neurological issues. This website summarizes things very well if you are interested in symptoms and treatment etc.
“Thank you so much for reading.”
If you would like to contribute a donation to the page, you can do so by clicking here.
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