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Can't ingest food: rare gut condition impacting ability to eat anything

$9,406 of $17,500 goal
Given by 254 generous donors in around 11 months

Help with costs for ingesting anything organic (food & drinks, except water) because of a severe superbug gut infection

Christchurch, Canterbury

My lovely brother has a life-threatening condition. It is diagnosed as 'Severe Functional GI Disorder'. He can only eat with unfunded strongly fermented probiotic drinks to subdue gut superbugs. Funds raised will last only roughly 2.5 more months, so we must raise enough for more months urgently or his life is at risk. The symptoms are severe.

His specialist advises that he do this "as long as possible" for the safety of future medication use. The bacteria have developed resistance to previous antibiotics, increasing the risk of further mutation. So I set a fundraising goal for over a year's costs.

Probiotic culture, fermentation ingredients, & nutrients/supplements are roughly $1075 monthly. Not counting electricity costs for warming up the oven for fermenting jars many times daily. More info:

• Diet is limited to 3 items of food

• Was hospitalized from Nov-Jan 22/23 & for a week in Feb/23

• Lower legs & feet were paralyzed. They improve slowly only as his condition does

• How well he is depends on how each meal goes

• Condition advanced from severe 'Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth' to 'Severe Functional GI Disorder' due to antibiotic-induced bacterial mutation

• Govt disability max is $70/week. So far in 2024, he gets $51.42 for this.

(Note: The main pic is from his time in the ICU, not recently. Pics below are of my brother, me & the fermenting. Give A Little carefully confirmed matters including from medical records)

Use of funds

Your support covers essential probiotic cultures (Body Ecology & The Kefir Company), daily fermentation necessities (milk & coco water), & vital supplements (key vitamins & minerals depleted by his condition). If donations are enough, we might see a specialist in the private market.

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Latest update

Update on the situation  11 October 2024

My brother got advice to post an update. We are very grateful for all the help we got this year, without it we would be doomed.

Right now my lovely brother is having a very hard time sadly. His medical care is extremely bad and he has to rely on this expensive method for a long time until they get their act together. He only has one month-worth of funds left approx. We still need help really badly because if he runs out of funds he won't be able to eat any food and also won't be getting medical help. His assigned public system gastro specialists have not come up with any plan despite seeing him first in Dec. It has been so bad he is going to lodge a complaint but has so little energy to do this he is really struggling.

Anyway, your help is still welcome and needed and if you can't that's OK we appreciate all those who have helped already.

Love,

Amira

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Latest donations

Guest Donor
Guest Donor on 21 Nov 2024
Rabena yetem shefaak many are praying for you. Isa rabena bey7baka. He gave you a hard test and the ability to go through it. If you pass the test isa the payoff would be amazing! لا يكلف الله نفسا الا وسعها! ان مع العسر يسر!
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Amira Abaza

I am Ahmed not Amira. Sorry I saw your donation a bit late because I've been unwell in recent weeks. Asef ma3andeesh keyboard 3araby - sorry I don't have an Arabic keyboard at the moment. bas shokran walahy your generosity is highly needed and will make a good difference at a very hard time. This is a very hard condition to manage and it is very costly. The generosity of people like you really makes the difference. Shokran again and I am determined to keep trying and fighting this until the end inshallah eventually I am out of this difficult time. I would love to know who you are if you are comfortable letting me know. But anyway I am very grateful and find it hard to express how much such help matters.. shokarn again!

Amira Abaza
S
S on 23 Oct 2024
Kia kaha
$80
Moses
Moses on 11 Oct 2024
Hope the complaint will help turn things around. You’re both doing amazing just getting through this.
$20
Guest Donor
Guest Donor on 11 Oct 2024
$60
Henry
Henry on 11 Oct 2024
Hang in there!! Hope the doctors can get their act together ASAP!
$20

Who's involved?

Amira Abaza's avatar
Created by, and paying to a verified bank account of, Amira Abaza on behalf of Ahmed Abaza
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This campaign started on 13 Jan 2024 and ends on 13 Jan 2025.