Earlier this week, 1-year-old Suri Diamond was in the news as her mother rallied to raise money to afford her treatments. Unfortunately, Suri has now suffered a second stroke, making her situation more urgent than ever. Suri was born with a rare genetic disease which prevents her body from properly breaking down proteins. She receives daily hospital treatments, and has regular visits with specialized doctors. Because her condition is rare it is not covered by the national health insurance and has plunged her family into debt. This has been exacerbated by the fact that her mother Miriam left her job as a preschool teacher to be Suri’s full-time caretaker. There are two other children at home.
Now that Suri has suffered a second stroke, her life is in immediate danger. The difference between life with treatment and without is massive: For those who are able to afford the treatments, Suri’s condition is not fatal. After a year of medication, she could be a happy, healthy toddler. The other side of the coin, however, is dark: Without the medication, she will almost certainly die. The Diamonds have no options for raising the $300,000 necessary to receive a year’s worth of medication. So, they have turned where many others have: crowdfunding. Their Chesed Fund page includes a video so deeply emotional, it becomes difficult to watch. Arguably, however, it is the reader’s duty to watch, to see with their eyes what this family is experiencing:
Those who are able to answer the desperate call of this young mother to save her baby’s life can do so here for a limited time. The family and those closest to them watch the fund’s progress with great apprehension.
