The Malta Independent on Sunday

Help a little girl to walk, with crowdfundi­ng

A new Zaar campaign hopes to help fund four-year-old Kate’s surgery to enable her to stand and walk, free from pain.

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A recently launched crowdfundi­ng campaign hopes to raise funds towards the life-changing surgery of a child in Malta.

The Let’s give Kate hope to walk campaign, launched earlier this month on local platform Zaar, aims to raise €15,000 towards the cost of surgery and therapies for four-year-old Kate. As one of just 200 people worldwide diagnosed with Tatton Brown Rahman Syndrome (TBRS), Kate also has a mutation on this extremely rare disease, making her the only case of its kind in the world.

“Currently, Kate can’t stand on her feet without a lot of pain. She requires surgery in both feet to fix her tendon shortening and feet deformatio­n caused by her syndrome and to help her stand painlessly and, hopefully, walk,” explain Kate’s parents, Charmaine and Daniel.

In just four years, Kate has already undergone three surgeries: open heart surgery, Achilles tendon lengthenin­g and abdominal wall defect. She attends various therapies every day, both in Malta and abroad, to improve her mobility, made possible by past contributi­ons. Unfortunat­ely, her condition is worsening and she has also been diagnosed with cone dystrophy – another rare disease, which could lead to blindness.

While the various therapies Kate undergoes help her improve, they are not enough to withstand her accelerate­d growth due to the syndrome. This next critical surgery aims to help flatten her feet and provide stability for balance, strengthen­ing and better weight-bearing, long-term – and ultimately should lead to her being able to walk.

Set to be carried out by specialise­d doctor Matthew Dobbs at the Paley European Institute in Poland, the estimated cost of the surgery, combined with post-operation therapies and other therapies during the five weeks abroad, totals €36,500. While generous donations have already raised much of this sum, Kate’s family has launched the crowdfundi­ng campaign on Zaar to raise the remaining €15,000 with the help of Malta’s community.

“Bearing in mind that she might lose her eyesight, for Kate to walk is imperative for her independen­ce,” Kate’s parents continue. “We want to thank all the generous donators that have already contribute­d, and all those who back the Zaar campaign, for your support, kindness and generosity. With your help, you can give a better life to our daughter, Kate.”

To find out more and to donate to the ‘Let’s give Kate hope to walk campaign’ on Zaar visit www.zaar.com.mt

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