Family raising funds to get help for baby Juniper
It was a difficult Christmas for one north Wicklow couple, who spent those days by their baby daughter’s hospital bed.
Six-month old baby Juniper, whose parents have asked that we use just her first name, has no immune system and therefore the inability to fight off infection. The family must travel overseas for effective treatment, unavailable in this country.
She is in isolation in hospital having been diagnosed with a rare and life-threatening genetic condition known as SCID, or Severe Combined Immunodeficiency.
Her grandfather said that one of the family’s main aims now, as Juniper makes progress, is to raise awareness of the condition to help other families avoid the ordeal which they have faced. He said that elsewhere, the condition is diagnosed at birth after a heel-prick test.
Another relative said that the parents have been in the hospital constantly with their little daughter. She is making good progress ahead of further treatment in the UK and as well as an outpouring of funds, there have been prayers and positive energy. The relative said that the family and their own friends and relatives will be setting up a petition for SKID to be tested for in a heel prick. She said that the family have been overwhelmed by the huge level of support from their community and beyond.
Juniper’s parents received the diagnosis just before Christmas, after months of illnesses and uncertainty about what could be wrong with the little girl.
The family needs to travel to the UK for a bone marrow transplant. The treatment to save Juniper’s life will require the family to stay in the UK for up to six months.
Family members and friends want to alleviate any financial pressure for Juniper’s parents while they embark on this difficult journey. A gofundme page called ‘lifeline for Juniper’ has already raised more than €35,000. Any funds raised will go towards accommodation, flights and living costs. Any funds raised beyond those needs will be donated to support other families affected by SCID.