We were recently close to losing my two year old daughter due to sepsis. It was a complication of her ongoing kidney disease caused by a secondary infection. She spent several nights in the ICU and weeks on the paediatric ward after the infection caused her heart rate to leap to 200 beats per minute. Her breathing became laboured and she drifted in and out of consciousness for several hours and only oxygen, IV antibiotics, albumin and diuretic infusions brought her back from the brink, preventing her organs from failing after her vascular system collapsed. A catheter was inserted for several days while she slowly regained consciousness.

She was originally diagnosed in September 2025 and we were given a good prognosis at the time provided she was receptive to treatment and regular monitoring. Unfortunately, since then she has had monthly relapses of her condition and the previous three relapses have caused her to be hospitalised. Her condition causes her to swell up as her kidneys are unable to function during episodes in what is called Nephrotic Syndrome. Her episodes are triggered whenever she has a mild cough, sore throat or cold. As you can imagine, with a two year old those illnesses are regular occurrences. Her long term treatment involves steroids which have essentially erased her immune system compounding her vulnerability to infections.

The only treatment to bring the severe swelling down is IV albumin infusions which she is currently back in hospital on to help with her recovery. Whilst this condition is chronic and severe, as she gets older and her immune system matures she should begin to react less dramatically to infections and her kidneys should function as normal. The hurdle is keeping her alive until her immune system is less reactionary. This usually occurs between ages 5-7 in children with this type of frequently relapsing kidney disease.

I fully expect to win this war for my daughter and will do anything to get her across the line so she can live a normal life. I am asking for help to cover the costs of her hospital readmissions each month, a kidney biopsy, ongoing consultant paediatric nephrologist fees, and further IV treatment that she will continue to need in the coming months and years, which at some point will be needed inside the home so she can avoid infections in hospital. I have emptied myself of resources getting her this far and was hoping for a better prognosis. However, there is a path for her if we can sustain her until her little body can figure its condition out on its own.

Thank you,

Rob (Dad) and Celeste.