Steph’s greatest wish is to find a cure for mito.
Steph was 10 weeks old when she developed an eye condition. Despite multiple surgeries, she was left with severe vision loss. As a toddler, she struggled to walk and was diagnosed with scoliosis and cerebellar ataxia, a severe balance disorder. This was the start of her journey…
Soon after starting kindergarten, Steph was given hearing aids to help with her significant hearing impairment. Over the years she saw many specialists and therapists, endured multiple hospital admissions and faced a barrage of tests.
Last year, Steph was diagnosed with mito. Her diagnosis was met with a wave of emotions – at last her parents knew what was wrong with their beautiful girl but the diagnosis was devastating.
Lately Steph’s condition has worsened. She has difficulty walking and swallowing. She is on pain medication, has problems communicating and often forgets her words.
“Imagine yourself standing on a boat in rough seas with nothing to hold onto – that is every day for Steph. Caring for Steph is expensive, exhausting and time consuming, and also rewarding. Steph is caring and kind and dreams about being a paediatrician when she grows up” – Kylie, Steph’s mum.
Steph’s family and friends took part in The Bloody Long Walk in Melbourne in 2017. Steph and team ‘Superheroes’ raised over $4,000 to contritbute to her wish of finding a cure for mito.
The Mito Foundation believes that the years of research into mito will pay off and we can soon transform research into viable treatments and therapies for people like Steph – but we need your help now more than ever.
Scientists need funds to take their research findings to clinical trials and to patients. Can you help give Steph and others like her the opportunity to gain access to ground-breaking new drugs and therapies?
