In this family, two wonderful daughters are growing up – 5-year-old Amelia and 3-year-old Karlina. Their mom and dad love them dearly. But for the past five years, life has tested this family’s strength. Both girls have had cerebral palsy (CP) since birth as a result of birth trauma. Doctors gave them no hope that they would ever walk or talk. Five years ago, their parents’ lives were turned upside down.

The eldest, Amelia, was born prematurely and underwent several major surgeries. Doctors fought hard to save her life. The youngest, Karlina, suffered from a severe infection during birth, and she also had to be saved. At one year old, she could barely hold her head up. For years, their parents have fought selflessly and heroically for their daughters’ health.

We met this family in December last year and, together with you, helped raise funds for their treatment. Over the past year, thanks to the intensive efforts of their mother and specialists, and most importantly, the immense parental love, incredible progress has been made. The treatment is showing success, but it needs to continue. Your help is urgently needed.

Charity Fund BeOpen

Reg. No. 50008218201

Address: Smilšu iela 6, Rīga, LV-1050, Latvia

Account No. LV94CBBR1123215500350

Bank SWIFT code: CBBRLV22 (BluOr Bank AS)

Purpose: Support for Karlina and Amelia

Amelia

Amelia is the eldest daughter. Despite a perfect pregnancy, she was born prematurely at 26 weeks, weighing just 950 grams. The delivery was sudden, and her brain suffered from oxygen deprivation and a severe hemorrhage.

“No one could tell us how it would end. Her body wasn’t ready to live in this world – her heart, respiratory system, and digestive system weren’t working properly. The doctors fought to save her life. We spent 3.5 months in the hospital. Amelia underwent four major surgeries. Eventually, she was diagnosed with CP – cerebral palsy,” says her mother, Anna.

The parents immediately began Amelia’s rehabilitation, utilizing all state-funded sessions and paying for physiotherapy, speech therapy, swimming, and other specialists themselves. Rehabilitation started to help, especially because it began without delay.

Karlina

Before the parents could emotionally recover, Anna found out she was expecting again. This pregnancy also started perfectly, but Anna caught a viral infection at the end. She was very ill.

“The doctor ignored my poor test results,” Anna recalls. “At one point, I realized the baby wasn’t moving. I went for a check-up and was told to eat a candy and calm down. They sent me home.”

That night, Anna couldn’t sleep. In the morning, she went straight to the Stradiņš hospital, where doctors rushed her into surgery. “They said the situation was critical,” Anna remembers.

When Karlina was born, she was immediately taken to intensive care. The baby had an infection because the earlier test results had been ignored.

Her condition was critical, and sepsis set in. Due to oxygen deprivation during birth, Karlina experienced hypoxia. For the first few days, she couldn’t breathe on her own. But she survived. After a week, Anna and Karlina were transferred to the Children’s Hospital, where Karlina spent three weeks in intensive care.

“Nobody explained what to do. Nobody taught us how to deal with spasticity or told us what the MRI results meant. Karlina could only use one arm; the other was pressed against her body. We were lucky to enter the Follow Up program at the Children’s Hospital, where they guided us. A neurologist and rehabilitator eventually diagnosed Karlina with spastic tetraparesis, saying she might never walk,” Anna says.

The family managed to enroll Karlina in a rehabilitation course at the Children’s Hospital, which showed immediate results. She became stronger and could lift herself up with her mom’s help. But by one year old, she was still a lying, passive baby.

At home, the family began rehabilitation for their second daughter: massages, swimming, and physiotherapy. They now paid for specialists for both daughters, using all their resources.

Two years have passed since Karlina’s diagnosis of CP. Anna still remembers the neurologist’s words: “We don’t know how this will affect her future or if she will ever crawl, walk, or talk.”

“I remember breaking down after that appointment… My heart hadn’t healed from everything with my first daughter, and now it shattered again. But time doesn’t wait, and we couldn’t lose a single moment,” Anna says.

Karlina is now three years old. The changes over the past year have been remarkable. She is stronger, can stand for longer periods independently, and is learning to move with a walker. She can now feed herself with a spoon and has started talking, forming some sentences clearly – a huge achievement.

How to help Amelia and Karlina

Both girls need surgery at a clinic in Barcelona and specialized rehabilitation at the Adeli Medical Center in Slovakia.

Karlina

To help 3-year-old Karlina walk independently, she needs surgery and a rehabilitation course at the Adeli Center, which specializes in CP treatment. Karlina has already been there twice, and the therapy has significantly reduced spasticity-related deformities. The total cost is €12,000.

Amelia

5-year-old Amelia needs surgery to release muscle spasms in her legs. The surgery cost will be confirmed after the reservation payment, but it is estimated to be around €7,000.