By BRIDGET COOK
A CRANBOURNE mother is seeking community support to help give her two-year-old daughter the best possible chance at life.
Sally Mylonas’ daughter Sophy is living with the life-threatening disease cystic fibrosis (CF).
Ms Mylonas wants to purchase her daughter a potentially life-saving vest designed to help sufferers of CF, but with a price tag of $14,000 and no government funding offered, she is unable to afford it.
Joined by a group of family and friends, Ms Mylonas has set up the ‘Team Sophy’ charity to help raise the funds needed to purchase the vest.
The group are planning the ‘Team Sophy Charity Event’ for Friday 20 September and are seeking support from the local community and businesses to help make it a success and raise the money needed.
The event will be a fund-raising dinner at Amstel Golf Club, Cranbourne, which will include a $500 cash draw, live entertainment, major auctions, silent auctions and raffles.
Ms Mylonas said Team Sophy was seeking event sponsorship and donated good for the auctions and giveaways.
“Every dollar raised will go straight towards Sophy and her vest,” she said.
CF is a genetic disease that substantially impairs normal respiratory and digestive functions, making the simple acts of eating and breathing a challenge.
In people with CF, a faulty gene causes the body to produce abnormally thick, sticky mucus that can clog the lungs, pancreas and other organs and can lead to severe respiratory and digestive problems.
The life expectancy of those with CF is only mid to late thirties.
Ms Mylonas said Sophy requires numerous medications and physiotherapy treatments every day.
“When she gets sick she could be in the hospital for at least two weeks on IV antibiotics,” she said.
“I watch Sophy scream as she is held down, poked and prodded by doctors and nurses.
“I watch the tears run down her face as she looks at me as if I’m the one hurting her.
“Sophy will develop bacteria that will take over her lungs. It will make her work so much harder to breathe.
“It will shorten her life, she has an overabundance of mucus in her body and it overtakes her system.”
Mr Mylonas said the vest was an air pulse generator that rapidly filled and deflated an inflatable vest, gently compressing and releasing the chest wall up to 25 times per second.
“This process, called high-frequency chest wall oscillation, creates mini-coughs that dislodge mucus from the bronchial walls, increase mobilisation and move it along toward central airways,” she said.
“It is something that will promote increased lung function and clearer lungs, therefore less chest infections and lung scarring which in turn makes for a healthier, longer life.
“So many children miss out on this vest.”
To donate towards Team Sophy, find out more or purchase a ticket to the charity event visit www.teamsophy.com or email sally@teamsophy.com
