Can you give Baby Teera one life saving gene?

Hello well-wishers. This is our donation page for 4-month-old baby Teera Kamat, born on August 14, 2020, diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1 (SMA1). All she asks is one gene; can you help us get it for her?

I am archit, Teera’s uncle, who is helping my cousin Mihir and sister in law Priyanka raise the funds required to save our little angel's life. They have very limited financial support in Mumbai, India, where Teera is now located and hospitals are ill equipped to treat such genetic conditions. My family are fundraising in India through their local crowdfunding platforms, but they have tried very hard but have only raised 15% of their total goal. They really need our help, and the clock is running out for Teera as each day passes.

SMA is a terrible disease, a rarest of rare genetic disorder that affects 1 in 10000 kids worldwide. Teera is missing one gene in her body that is required to make a very important protein. That protein keeps her nerve cells active, and without it, they wither away and die. She will have a lifespan of 6 months to 2 years depending on the progression of her condition.

On the surface, she looks like a normal happy child, but inside her condition is killing her nerves and muscles one by one. As the disease progresses she will not be able to move her hands and legs, sit up, crawl, hold her head, or do any of the things normal babies do. Her breathing will be labored; stomach muscles will give way, causing food to go back up to her lungs; and she will choke on her own spit and stomach fluids. Once the disease kills a particular nerve cell, we lose all function in that part of the body and this is irreversible. No amount of treatment given after the nerve cells die will help.

We have some hope. She currently has limited movement in her right leg and has some breathing issues, but is right now breathing and feeding on her own. The 2+ million dollar treatment called Zolgensma is available in the United States. This treatment, given to her now, could be a potential “cure”. As time passes, the effectiveness of the treatment will reduce. So we need to reach our goal within the next 2 months.

We appeal to your human side. You have the opportunity to save this beautiful baby. Please open your heart so we can reach our goal NOW and save her life.