‘Miracle Baby’ fund crosses US$23,000

"Miracle Baby" Michael Jagdeo

A gofundme account set up on Facebook to raise US$89,000 for Michael Anthony Jagdeo, dubbed the “Miracle Baby,” has reached US$23,124 as at July 1.

Some 213 people have raised that amount since the fund was set up on June 11, to fund a specialised treatment called hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

Parents Jason Jagdeo and Marissa Naidoo-Jagdeo never had the joy of welcoming Michael into their lives the way most parents do, as Michael’s birth was so traumatic that it became life-threatening to both mother and baby.

They both survived, however, and the Jagdeos nicknamed him “Miracle Mikey.”

For the next three weeks after Mikey’s birth on November 2, 2015, he was kept in the neo-natal intensive care unit as he fought for his life. The brain damage he suffered was so extensive that doctors predicted that he would never walk or talk.

Of course, this news left his parents devastated, but they never gave up hope.

From Mikey’s second day of life his seizures began. Evolving over time into a rare form of epilepsy called West Syndrome, it resulted in hundreds of daily seizures.

The Jagdeos were told that there is no cure, especially with Mikey’s extensive brain damage. The baby’s prognosis was extremely poor, but his parents never gave up hope. Working with a team of doctors, they tried different combinations of medicines until they found a regime that drastically reduced his seizures.

However, though the doctors were amazed at the outcome, because of the extent of Mikey’s brain damage, they predicted that the baby’s seizures would continue to evolve over his lifetime.

It appears that evolution has begun.

The specialists have reportedly ruled out surgery as an option because Mikey’s brain damage is so widespread. It was recommended that Mickey get hyperbaric oxygen therapy to improve his quality of life and to reduce, or hopefully eliminate, his seizures.

Having defied all odds to date, the Jagdeo family believes that there may yet be another miracle, and they may get to see Mikey walk, talk, run and play one day. They say it would be the greatest blessing ever.

However, this specialised treatment can only be accessed overseas and under the guidance of a specialist.

The Jagdeos have already sourced a specialist with more than 30 years’ experience in treating children with seizure disorders, but it requires at least US$89,000.

His family says: “Mikey is a little hero who bravely fights his battles every day and lights up the world with his love! He is an angel on this earth, whose eyes radiate hope and determination. He just needs a little help from you right now to get him to his breakthrough.”

People wanting to help can do so via Mikey’s URL https://www.gofundme.com/miraclemikey

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