Little Selen was born prematurely. And her parents, Aram and Lilyan, could see that something was wrong with their baby.

She was very swollen, and her test results were deeply concerning. After a few agonizing days, the diagnosis was finally revealed: Selen suffered from a severe kidney disease and needed to be hospitalized immediately. Without treatment, her blood pressure could rise dangerously and affect her heart, and her kidneys could stop functioning. All her organs were at risk. Her life was too. The young couple was living a nightmare.

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Selen was admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at The Children’s. She was placed on a ventilator and put into a medically induced coma for two days.

Lilyan, her voice breaking with emotion, told us, “At that moment, everything sped up. All I wanted was to stay strong and not show my distress to my daughter.”

Thankfully, Selen was able to be cared for at The Children’s. It took a month to stabilize her condition. She was able to go home and began treatment three times a week at the hospital in Sherbrooke. Things went relatively well for three years, but her young parents knew that everything could change in an instant. And that’s exactly what happened in January when Selen’s kidneys stopped working.

Aram and Lilyan then received the terrifying news: Selen needs a kidney.

While she waits for a transplant, Selen must undergo long dialysis sessions four days a week. In the life of this young family, you make all the difference. Your donation ensures that Selen and other children like her continue to receive vital treatments they need. You are essential to the families of The Children’s.

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To ease their daily life, The Children’s team had explored the possibility of peritoneal dialysis at home, a delicate but hopeful procedure. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t possible in Selen’s case. With each attempt, she was in excruciating pain.

“Even in a coma, she would cry and writhe in agony” Lilyan confided. “It was very difficult for us to endure. Imagine what it was like for her.”

They had no choice but to care for Selen at The Children’s. She is only three years old and spends nearly all her days at The Hospital. She will have to live this way until she receives a kidney. Your generosity provides essential care and comfort to families like Selen’s when they need it most. But your support does so much more—it gives hope to young patients fi ghting to survive.

Right now, Selen’s life depends on continued access to critical treatments. Your donation today can make that possible. Please donate now. We need you.

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