‘I’m just a dad trying to save my little girl’: Waikiki family seek help & money for toddler in fight for life

The Waikiki family of a toddler fighting a rare life-threatening condition are racing to raise $3 million for a chance at treatment overseas. Two-year-old Aurelia Patel has been diagnosed with severe pulmonary hypertension, a type of high blood pressure that affects her heart and lungs. After trying multiple medications with no success, Aurelia’s aunt Therese Butcher said the toddler had multiple episodes a day in which she stops breathing and becomes unconscious for “two to 2½ minutes”. The family have been told there are no options left in Australia, and have been referred to end-of-life palliative care, but Aurelia’s father Peter Crofts is now looking for help overseas. “I’m just a dad trying to save my little girl,” Mr Crofts told 7NEWS. “The only thing left is to go for a transplant, which doesn’t seem to be an option in Australia. “One, for availability of organs, and two, for policy from the hospital saying that they won’t do any surgery for children under four or 15kg.” While the family look for potential placement on a heart and lung transplant list in the US, cost remains a major hurdle. A GoFundMe campaign started at the end of October has already brought in more than $78,000 in donations, but that’s only the beginning. “Money should never be a barrier to receiving lifesaving care,” Ms Butcher told 7NEWS. “When we started looking into overseas options, it became very apparent we would somehow need to raise millions of dollars.” In an update posted to the donation page, Ms Butcher said the love, messages and solidarity pouring in had held their family up during the hardest time of their lives. “Every single dollar and every new supporter brings us one step closer to giving Aurelia a chance at the lifesaving double heart and lung transplant she desperately needs overseas,” Ms Butcher said. “We are deeply grateful to everyone who has donated, messaged, shared our story, or simply held Aurelia in their thoughts.” Mr Crofts said he had promised not to give up. “I will fight for her with everything I have,” he said on the GoFundMe page. “If there is even one more door we can knock on, I will find it. I just need to help her do it.” To donate to the GoFundMe, visit here.