Help Sabina, Phil, and Baby Koa , Through This Challenging Time

Sabina and Phil are a loving, devoted couple navigating an unimaginable health crisis while caring for their newborn son, Koa. Two months ago, their family welcomed Koa with joy and hope. Since then, life has taken a sudden, brutal turn.

Around five weeks Sabina began experiencing concerning symptoms that gradually intensified. After a period of uncertainty, she was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). The diagnosis came three weeks after symptoms started and five weeks after they began, a timeline that has left the family overwhelmed and exhausted.

Sabina and Phil sought urgent care in Dunedin, where Sabina started IVIG treatment from September 8 to September 13. While the medical team did everything possible, Sabina was discharged with partial mobility. Within a week at home, Sabina’s pain intensified and her mobility worsened, necessitating an ambulance trip from Queenstown back to Dunedin, where it was determined that she needed the 2nd stage of treatment, Plasma Exchange, through the jugular vein.

The toll on Sabina has been immense. As a new mother unable to attend to their three-month-old, she carries the emotional weight of not being able to care for Koa. Phill has stepped away from work to be by Sabina’s side and support their family, but the strain is immense. They are a small, close-knit family navigating medical appointments, urgent transports, accommodation costs, and the daily demands of caring for a newborn.

Your generosity brings hope, thankyou 🙏