Photo: Getty Images
The power of social media can be extraordinary. Roqaia Reda’s family found that out while trying to save their daughter’s life. Roqaia was born in 2020 in Alexandria, Egypt and had a normal first six months then her parents saw odd symptoms. The girl was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), which is rare and sees children with severe cases die around two-year-old.
There’s a treatment of a single dose gene therapy called Zolgensma, but its price tag is staggering at $2.1-million. It’s considered the most expensive medicine. Roqaia's family started a crowdfunding effort to help raise the money for the treatment.
Celebs started noticing the fund but it was Mohamed Wanas, an Egyptian IT engineer, who got the ball really rolling. He runs the non-profit "The Power of Social Media," and took over the crowdfunding effort. A video of the girl falling and crying “help me” made the fund soar.
By June 25th, just 23 days after launching, the fund went well past its goal. Egypt has a rule, so the leftover money will go to the next urgent case. Roqaia’s Zolgensma treatment is being sent from Europe, and she should have her treatment right around her 2nd birthday.
Source: CBS News