This post is taken w/ permission from Veronica at Sleepless Nights!

Ivy is beautiful and Ivy is sick. Ivy is only 2.

And yet, at age 2, Ivy has seen the inside of a hospital more times than anyone should have to. Ivy has a rare immune deficiency IgG. Because of that, she has Pemphigus which is an autoimmune response to the IgG [please note, these are photos of Ivy's pemphigus blisters and they may be a little graphic for some people].

These are horrible conditions that no adult should have to deal with, let alone a child.

Ivy is currently on Prednisone and Mycophenolate to help control her symptoms and blistering; however, these drugs suppress her immune system, on top of the deficiency.

Ivy’s mum says “…she was never good at mounting a response to infection but the meds make it worse.”

She frequently ends up in hospital on IV antibiotics, just to help control the infection in her ears that never seems to completely disappear. She cannot be exposed to a simple virus in fear that it will land her back in hospital for days at a time.

She can’t go to the playground to play.

She can’t attend playgroup.

She can’t head to the supermarket with her mother.

She might never be able to go to regular school.

She is only 2.

However, there is a treatment that would give Ivy a good chance at normal life.

It’s called IVIG (intravenous immunoglobulin) and it is a transfusion of immune cells that would bolster Ivy’s own immune system and help her fight infections in a normal way.

Think about it, a chance at a normal life. A life that doesn’t involve frequent hospitalisations.

Unfortunately, the officials at the Australian National Blood Authority have denied the request for Ivy to have this treatment. This treatment that could very well keep her out of hospital. So far, all appeals have been in vain.

As Ivy’s Mum says on her website:

“My little girl is going to have a life of hospital admissions and illness, some chronic, some life threatening, because some guy in an ivory tower decided she could survive without this medication.”

How is this fair?

What if it was your child? What if it was your sister’s child? Do the rules change for daughters of the officials? How come someone with a big stamp gets to say yes or no to this little girl’s chance at a normal life?

It shouldn’t be like this.

All I am asking for is 2 minutes of your time. If you could just head over here and sign our petition, we might be able to get enough support to convince the National Blood Authority officials to change their mind.

Ivy is only 2. She deserves a chance to be normal.

Please, a minute of your time could make all the difference for Ivy.

Sign Petition

I was all prepared to do a Tools of the Trade post tonight when something compelled me to look at the site of one of the love ladies from AllMediocre who commented on one of my posts. I went over to Shannon’s blog and I was catching up on her posts since I have been a bit behind the curve this week on reading all the blogs I like to visit each day. As I’m catching up I read this post which leads me to Angie’s blog

I spent the next hour or so reading through Angie’s blog and crying more then I have in quite some time. I don’t care who you pray to, be it God, a Goddess, Allah, Buddha, or anyone else for that matter. I think one common thread that interweaves through most religions is that there is a higher being or beings that have a plan for us even if we aren’t ready to accept it. The strength that Angie shows in her posts are astounding.

For now I can only pray to my Gods and Goddesses and send love and healing energy her way and I ask that no matter who you pray to that you do the same for Angie and all the families mentioned on her blog that are in need of it right now.

Right now I’m going to go hold my son and tell him I love him and do the same when his brother comes home tomorrow.

Nothing too insightful for today. Right now I’m praying to the Goddess that my BFF’s daughter will be alright. She’s 1 and has Cystic Fibrosis. This morning they are taking her to the hospital because she’s sick and they have to keep an eye on her lung functions. When I found out they were taking her in last night I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. I always knew it would eventually happen…but it’s when it actually does that you smacked upside the head with Reality. So now I’m going to be sending healing energy and vibes to K as they take her to the hospital and pray to the Goddess that everything goes smoothly and they get to bring her home quickly.