Mom Suffering From Rare Illness Could Die If She Drinks More Than Three Glasses Of Water Per Day

By Samantha in Heartbreaking On 21st March 2021
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This mom of three is fighting for her life as she struggles to find a kidney donor because of a rare illness that does not let her drink more than three glasses of water a day. 

Becky Roberts, a 43-year old from Birmingham suffers from a rare disease called Anti-GBM (Goodpasture's) disease, a rare disease in which her immune system starts attacking her own body organs. 

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Because of her painful disease, her kidneys are operating only at 1% and has already undergone chemotherapy which has resulted in massive weight loss and hair loss, and cannot drink more than 1 liter of water each day as it starts flooding her lungs if she drinks more. 

Because of her deteriorating condition, Becky needs a kidney transplant on an urgent basis and find a donor that matches her Caribbean heritage and have the surgery within 2 years. 

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Becky's daughter has set up a GoFundMe page in hopes that she will be able to raise  $119,282 and save her mother's life by getting her transplant done through a private healthcare company. 

In an interview with Birmingham Live, Becky said: "It's an ultra-rare blood disease and found once every 10 years. The chances of it are one in millions.

"I was told I had five years to live and that was three years ago, so I have two years left."

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She continued: "It's been a heartbreaking and unimaginable time. I can't even explain it. It's like someone else's life. It's one thing after another. It's crazy.

"I have to keep strong and focused for my kids. I want to live for them, but it's heart-wrenching. They need me. My babies are my life, my world, my everything.

"I was in hospital for four months at the beginning and to see them without me was horrible. They couldn't come to see me on the renal ward because of possible infections spreading.

"I got so ill the doctors had to put me into an induced coma. My body got so weak it kept crashing. My immune system is attacking my vital organs."

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Becky is mom to seven-year-old Amiyah, nine-year-old Andrew, and 22-year-old Aliyah.

She first started suffering in 2018 with what her family believed could be food poisoning.

Then, she spent four months in hospital in 2019 after her condition worsened.

She explained: "I went back to hospital. My kidneys were working at three percent.

"Doctors said if I had waited until the next day I would have been dead. I wouldn't be here. It's started going to my lungs and then had a biopsy on my kidney."

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"I had chemotherapy and lost six stone since I was sick.

"I lost my hair. My daughter wouldn't come near me as I was bald. I couldn't walk, eat and clean, couldn't look after myself. It's just been a whirlwind."

"I don't like living like this.

"I'm only allowed to drink 700ml a day. If I drink more the water would go around my body, around my heart and I'd end up in hospital.

"That's what happened before when I went into a coma. They put me in an induced coma. I had too much water on me when your lungs fill up and I didn't realise."

Becky is currently fighting against time and needs a transplant on an urgent basis. Unfortunately, the process has been further stalled because of the pandemic situation. 

"I don't really know where I stand with the NHS. It could take up to seven years," she added.

"As I'm Caribbean I wouldn't be able to have a kidney from someone who say is European white. It's different tissue types, not just blood types. It's more difficult to find a match.

"The only thing I can think of is to go private."

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On the GoFundMe page, it reads: "Due to the coronavirus pandemic, we are refused the chance to be matched to my mom, unless we go privately as live donors are not being operated on due to the risk and the heavy weight on the NHS,

"The approximate waiting time for a donor she is currently on is seven years... which as you can gather.. isn't enough time."

So far, nearly $9,709 has been raised. If you want to help save Becky's life you can make your donation here.