“13-Month-Old Mia Fights Rare Disease, Family Turns to Community for Life-Saving Help”. Hyn
From the moment Mia was born, her life has been a battle few can imagine.
The tiny girl, just 13 months old, arrived into the world weighing 4.8 kilograms via a cesarean section. At first glance, she looked like any newborn — perfect, innocent, full of potential.
But doctors quickly noticed something unusual. Mia was born with a rare condition called lymphangion, a growth on the left side of her torso.
Her left arm was shorter than normal, and two of her fingers were fused, a sign that surgery would eventually be necessary.
From her very first day, Mia’s life required constant medical attention.
Her family, the Plejnšeks, knew immediately that raising her would be unlike anything they had anticipated.
Every two weeks, Mia travels to the University Medical Centre in Ljubljana for check-ups, her parents monitoring her growth, her symptoms, and her fragile health with unwavering attention.
But the treatments Mia truly needs cannot be found in Slovenia.
For the next stage of her therapy, she must travel to Brussels, where specialized care exists for her rare condition.
The costs are enormous. Every flight, every consultation, every procedure adds up.
Her mother, Jasmina, cannot work. Mia’s delicate immune system makes exposure to germs dangerous, so she must remain at home, away from daycare, school, and the outside world.
Her father, Marjan, works tirelessly, from sunrise to long after sunset, to provide for the family.
Despite their sacrifices, the family has reached a point where even the most careful budgeting is not enough.
Medical bills, travel costs, and ongoing care have created a financial strain beyond what any parent should face.
Yet, Mia’s family refuses to give up. Their love is unshakable, their commitment to their daughter absolute.
Each treatment, each therapy session, represents not just a medical procedure, but hope for Mia’s future.
The community has rallied to their side. The local Red Cross organizations, KO RK Sveti Tomaž and RKS OZ Ormož, have opened a dedicated account to raise funds for Mia’s treatment.
The appeal is clear: help Mia continue her life-saving therapies in Brussels. Every donation, no matter the size, brings the family closer to securing the specialized care she desperately needs.
Mia’s story is a testament to resilience — of a child who has faced the odds from the very first moments of her life.
Each doctor’s visit, each treatment, is a reminder that she is stronger than her diagnosis.
For her parents, the struggle is constant. They live in a world where every decision — from the food Mia eats to the air she breathes — carries consequences.
Jasmina cannot step away for work. Her full attention must remain on Mia, and by necessity, her older daughter, Pia, also stays home, sharing in the sacrifice.
Marjan works tirelessly, his days filled with labor to provide for two children with extraordinary medical needs and a family facing impossible financial pressure.
Yet despite the stress, the Plejnšeks are determined to give Mia a chance at life — a chance that depends on specialized therapies not available locally.
Brussels is where her hope lies. That city houses the rare treatments that could dramatically improve Mia’s quality of life.
The family has navigated countless medical appointments, consultations, and the uncertainty of traveling abroad with a fragile child.
Every step is carefully planned, every movement calculated to ensure Mia’s health and safety.
Mia’s condition requires constant monitoring. Her immune system is weakened by the medications she receives, leaving her vulnerable to infections that could derail her progress.
The Plejnšeks’ commitment is total. Every sleepless night, every early morning, every hour of travel is dedicated to keeping their daughter alive and giving her a chance at normalcy.
Community support is now essential.
The Red Cross’s fundraising initiative provides a lifeline. Donations will help cover medical expenses, travel, and ongoing care — necessities the family cannot afford alone.
Each contribution brings Mia closer to the therapies that may transform her future.
Her parents’ devotion and the generosity of strangers intersect at a single goal: giving Mia a fighting chance.
From her first moments in the hospital, Mia’s life has been extraordinary.
Her tiny fingers, fused and delicate, represent both vulnerability and potential. Her short arm is a symbol of the challenges she has already overcome.
Yet every scan, every doctor’s visit, every therapy session is also proof of her determination to survive.
The family’s story resonates far beyond their home in Sveti Tomaž.
It is a story of love, of community, of the extraordinary lengths parents will go to for a child.
It is a story of courage, not just for Mia, but for Jasmina and Marjan, who have placed their lives on hold to ensure their daughter can live.
The financial burden is immense. Every therapy session abroad costs thousands. Flights, accommodations, medical equipment — none of it covered by local health insurance.
But the Plejnšeks refuse to surrender.
The Red Cross and local organizations have mobilized, highlighting Mia’s story to the wider community and inviting people to contribute to her care.
Social media campaigns, fundraising events, and public appeals have drawn attention from all corners of Slovenia.
For those who donate, it is not just charity. It is a tangible way to change a child’s life.
Mia is scheduled to continue her therapies in Brussels in October. Each session is critical. Each visit could bring improvement that local care cannot provide.
Her story is ongoing. It is a fight, day by day, week by week.
Her parents’ devotion transforms fear into action. Their love becomes a shield against the uncertainty that hovers over every appointment.
Even with exhaustion and financial stress, Jasmina and Marjan maintain hope. Their goal is simple yet monumental: give Mia the life she deserves.
The family’s plight illustrates the struggles faced by parents of children with rare diseases worldwide.
It also highlights the power of community intervention. When families cannot manage alone, collective action can make the difference between despair and hope.
Mia’s tiny body has already endured more than most adults ever will.
Her growth, her resilience, and her spirit defy the odds stacked against her.
Every milestone, from a doctor’s consultation to a therapy session completed without complications, is a victory.
The Plejnšeks’ story is one of unyielding courage.
It is also a call to action — for communities to support families like theirs, for healthcare systems to recognize the needs of rare patients, and for the world to remember the power of human generosity.
From her hospital treatments in Ljubljana to life-saving therapies in Brussels, Mia’s journey continues.
Her parents’ unwavering devotion, combined with the support of strangers and organizations, offers her the chance to grow, to thrive, and to live a life unbound by the limitations of her rare condition.
Mia’s story is far from over. Every day presents new challenges, but also new hope.
And with each therapy, each treatment, and each community contribution, she steps closer to a brighter future.
For the Plejnšeks, the fight continues — not just for survival, but for life in its fullest form.
Mia, the brave 13-month-old, continues to inspire a community, showing what can be achieved through love, determination, and the willingness of strangers to come together for a child in need.
Her Light Remains: Remembering Skylan Ann Sellars.1387
There are names that carry more love than seems possible, names that leave an imprint long after they are spoken. “Skylan Ann Sellars” is one of those names. Just two years old, she held a light so pure it softened even the hardest hearts, a light that flickered out on April 2, 2022, leaving the world a little dimmer.
For two months, Skylan fought medulloblastoma, a rare and aggressive brain cancer no child should ever endure. And in that brief span, she showed more courage, more grace, and more love than most people experience in a lifetime. Her story began like any other — laughter filling rooms, tiny footsteps pattering across floors, the joyful chaos that only toddlers can bring. Skylan was one of those children who made every moment brighter. Her smile could break through sadness like sunlight piercing clouds. Her giggle was wild, free, music in its purest form, echoing through hallways, bouncing off walls, wrapping itself around everyone she loved. Her mother would often say, “She had a fire in her that’s like no other. She’s an inspiration.” And anyone who met her believed it without question.
Even at two years old, Skylan’s spirit was extraordinary — gentle yet fierce, tiny yet unstoppable. The first signs of something wrong appeared quietly. A stumble here, a headache there, moments that seemed small enough to dismiss. But mothers know. And one morning, when Skylan didn’t wake as easily as usual, her mother felt a fear that words could never contain. Hospitals, scans, whispers in sterile hallways, and then the diagnosis every parent dreads: medulloblastoma. A word that sliced through the air like glass. Aggressive. Fast-growing. A tumor in her brain that threatened to steal the future before it had fully begun.
For days, her parents lived in a blur of tests, machines, doctors, and white-washed rooms. Her father held her tiny hand through IV tubes, singing lullabies while struggling to hold back tears. Her mother stayed awake beside the hospital bed, whispering prayers into the hum of monitors. In a room where fear should have dominated, the smallest person became the strongest presence. Even when weak, she smiled. Even when tired, she reached for her twin brother’s hand. Even when afraid, she comforted her parents with the softness in her gaze. Nurses called her “the little fighter.” Doctors marveled at her calm determination. Her mother kept a journal, documenting each smile, each fleeting flicker of hope, writing, “She’s teaching us how to love harder, how to believe stronger, how to find light in impossible places.”
As treatments progressed, the toll became evident. Her hair began to fall. Her small body, once full of motion and mischief, grew stiller. Yet those ocean-blue eyes never lost their spark. When her older brother visited, she would lift her hand and whisper his name. He brought drawings of rainbows, butterflies, and their family together. She pressed her tiny hand over the pictures, as if trying to hold the moment forever. Family photos from this time show her attached to tubes and monitors, yet still smiling, a grace beyond her years, a courage far beyond her age.
In early April, her condition worsened. The family gathered close — parents, older brother, twin, grandparents — surrounded by the quiet rhythm of oxygen machines. Outside, spring was returning, the world turning green again, as if life itself whispered, “I’m still here.” Inside, time felt suspended. Every breath was sacred, every heartbeat precious. And in the gentle morning light of April 2, 2022, Skylan took her final breath. Her parents recall a calm settling over the room, as if heaven itself had opened its arms. She looked peaceful, as though she knew she had done enough.
Those who loved her believe she didn’t lose the fight. Children like Skylan never truly lose; they go where pain cannot reach, to a place where laughter is eternal and love never fades. She “gained her angel wings,” and in the days that followed, her presence remained palpable. Friends brought flowers, neighbors left candles, and strangers across the world sent messages of love. “She reminded us that even the smallest light can change everything,” one wrote. “Heaven gained the brightest little soul,” said another. Her smile, warmth, and courage now live on in everyone who knew her.
Her twin brother still sleeps with her favorite stuffed animal. Her older brother keeps one of her drawings in his backpack. Her parents preserve her soft pink blanket with white stars on the edge of their bed. Sometimes, when the wind moves through the curtains, her mother feels her presence. “Like she’s still here,” she whispers. “Still watching over us.”
At her memorial, her favorite song, You Are My Sunshine, played. Every voice trembled as they sang. Her mother could not finish the words, yet smiled through tears as a gentle gust brushed her face, as if Skylan herself whispered, “I’m okay, Mommy.” This is how they remember her — not as a child lost to illness, but as a light that continues to shine, a love that never left.
People speak of her now not with pity, but with awe. “She changed us,” her grandmother said softly. “She made us better.” Her story, short as it was, reminded everyone how precious life is, how joy is measured not in years, but in moments, and how even a two-year-old can leave a mark that lasts a lifetime.
Her mother often says, “She had a fire like no other.” And that fire has not gone out. It burns in the candles lit every April. It lives in her brothers’ laughter. It glows in every child whose smile her story has touched. Love, once given, does not die; it changes form and becomes the light that guides others through their darkness.
Skylan Ann Sellars, age two. Beautiful. Bright. Affectionate. Loved beyond measure. She taught the world how to be brave and, in her short, shining life, showed that even the smallest hearts can hold infinite lov
