Ambika’s Ambition

Just4Children need to raise money to support Ambika who was born with a brain injury. She needs ongoing traditional and alternative therapy, treatment and specialist equipment to help reach her maximum potential
£23276
Total raised
29%
£80,000.00
Target
Donate Fundraise

292 donations

Ambika’s Ambition

Just4Children need to raise money to support Ambika who was born with a brain injury. She needs ongoing traditional and alternative therapy, treatment and specialist equipment to help reach her max potential

Ambika is aged 5 from Stretford in Manchester. On the 31st of October 2017 our lives changed forever. Our beautiful princess, our first born, Ambika was born, full term. The perfect, uncomplicated 9 months of pregnancy came to a sudden terrifying halt for our family within a few hours & changed our lives forever. What I (as well as doctors) thought was the flu I had been battling for 4 weeks, was Group Strep A infection which turned into the deadly sepsis within minutes. An emergency c-section showed my internal organs slowly giving up, hardly a placenta left, amidst was our warrior princess fighting for her last breath. My Ambi was taken away from me. I was wheeled away to ICU where I stayed hospitalised for a month. I was not able to see or hold my baby for 10 days. She was transferred to a different hospital. We both continued to fight for our lives and to be reunited. It was a traumatic and scary time for the three of us and our whole family.

Due to my illness alongside medical negligence, Ambi suffered severe brain damage- grade 3 Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) – type of brain damage that occurs when an infant’s brain & other organs don’t receive enough oxygen and blood. Ambi’s prognosis was the worst possible. She was born with no signs of life for 6 minutes, born blue and floppy and she had to be resuscitated. She was ventilated for 2 weeks and after a meeting with a head consultant we were told that she still was showing no signs of life, hadn’t opened her eyes or moved. The movements she was making were due to seizures and abnormal activity in the brain. Her head was huge due to excessive swelling around the brain which started to push down into her spine. We were advised to think about switching the ventilator off, even given family time to say our goodbyes. The night before we decided to switch the ventilator off, a true miracle happened. Ambika started breathing for herself, proving us wrong and showing the determination of a true fighter. She was meant to be here with us!

We were told if she survived, she would be a vegetative state and 5 years down the line, the truth couldn’t be further from that! She has the best personality, loves being around people and enjoys school so much. She also has the best bond with her little sister, Anjali.

Ambika’s acquired brain injury presents itself with a diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy (level 5), Epilepsy, Dystonia & CVI (Cortical Visual Impairment) . At the age of 5, she cannot sit, talk, crawl or walk unaided. She is fed all fluids through a gastronomy in her stomach and also eats pureed food orally 2 times a day (loves her chocolate!). She is doing very well with her feeding. Recent progress we have seen is her communication and understanding of language. She now has a head switch at home and school which she is doing so well to communicate her needs.

Ambika has already surpassed all of our expectations as well as the professionals through the alternative therapies and equipment we have previously fundraised for. The main therapy which has been pivotal is the hyperbaric oxygen chamber. We truly believe we have seen the most improvement in Ambika since we bought one of these. We have also been doing Movement Lesson intensives which Ambika has responded so well to.

We know that by your fundraising Ambika will continue to progress physically and cognitively, improving the quality of her life.

We want to use the money for weekly ongoing Movement Lessons with Scott. Also, Michelle Turner (the founder of Movement Lesson) is coming from Texas to Scotland this October, offering a week long intensive of Movement Lesson which we think will hugely help Ambika with her progression as she has already responded so well to this therapy. In addition, we want her to have private physio and a few private SALT (speech and language) as she is doing so well with communication. There is equipment we feel she will benefit from which we cannot get on the NHS.

The main treatment we want to fundraise for is Stem Cell Therapy (SCT) which we have heard amazing things about and would love Ambika to have. This can cost around £20,000.

We have come to realise that these alternative therapies and treatments are vital for Ambika will now be continuous for her, which is expensive and why Just4Children are asking for your help.

It means everything to us to see Ambi thrive and we hope you can help her to continue with all these therapies.

Thank you for your support

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