The family of a two-year-old Perth girl is locked in a desperate race against time, scrambling to raise millions of dollars for a chance at life-saving treatment overseas after being told there are no options left in Australia.
A Daily Battle for Breath
Aurelia Patel has been diagnosed with a rare and life-threatening condition called severe pulmonary hypertension, a type of high blood pressure that critically affects her heart and lungs. Her aunt, Therese Butcher, has revealed the terrifying reality of the toddler's condition, stating that Aurelia suffers multiple episodes each day where she stops breathing and becomes unconscious for two to two-and-a-half minutes.
Despite trying numerous medications, doctors have not found a successful treatment to manage her aggressive illness. With all local medical avenues exhausted, Aurelia has been referred to end-of-life palliative care, a devastating prognosis her family refuses to accept.
The Overseas Transplant Hurdle
Aurelia's father, Peter Crofts, explained the heartbreaking situation facing families with critically ill young children in Australia. The only potential cure is a heart and lung transplant, an option effectively unavailable to Aurelia domestically.
"One, for availability of organs, and two, for policy from the hospital saying that they won't do any surgery for children under four or 15 kilograms," Crofts said, distilling the policy and logistical barriers into simple, painful terms. His driving motivation is clear and unwavering: "I'm just a dad trying to save my little girl."
A Multi-Million Dollar Lifeline
With their focus now turned internationally to secure a place on a transplant list overseas, the family has come up against a monumental financial barrier. "When we started looking into overseas options it became very apparent we would somehow need to raise millions of dollars," Butcher stated, adding the poignant belief that money should never be a barrier to receiving life-saving care.
In a final, hopeful effort, the family has launched a GoFundMe campaign, appealing to the generosity of the public and strangers to help them in their fight to save Aurelia. They are now relying on community support to overcome the immense financial hurdle standing between their daughter and a chance at survival.
