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Okanagan girl’s family asking for support after rare condition diagnosis

Averi Morey and her parents are in Vancouver waiting for a treatment plan
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12-year-old Averi is currently in BC Children’s Hospital waiting for treatment for her aplastic anemia. (Vanessa Micku - GoFundMe)

A Kelowna family is asking the community to help them and their daughter battle a rare medical condition.

Twelve-year-old Averi Morey was diagnosed with aplastic anemia, a condition that prevents the body from producing enough blood cells. According to the Mayo Clinic, the rare condition causes fatigue and leaves individuals more prone to infections and uncontrolled bleeding.

At first, Averi seemed to be fighting some sort of virus but her family noticed she wasn’t getting better.

Her mother Jerica brought Averi to Vernon Jubilee Hospital, where initially they were told Averi might have cancer. Her father Matthew rushed from Kelowna to Vernon and from there, the trio was flown immediately to BC Children’s Hospital for more testing.

Currently, they’re still waiting to learn more about treatment options, but Jerica and Matthew have been told their daughter may be in the hospital for the next six months or possibly longer.

Due to COVID-19, Averi can only be in contact with her parents to prevent infection, which means Jerica has had to leave her one-year-old daughter to be in Vancouver full-time, leaving Averi’s stepfather to care for her sister and have a reduced work schedule. Matthew is in a similar position with a limited work schedule and leaving his daughter’s stepmother to care for the family.

“Due to many forms of procedures, this process will be exhausting and time-consuming, not to mention, extremely stressful in the wake of a worldwide pandemic where only two of her parents are able to visit her,” according to one of the fundraisers for the family.

The money raised from the campaigns will go towards food, fuel and accommodations, as well as to help Averi’s parent’s families.

For more information, visit the fundraisers here and here.

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Twila Amato
Video journalist, Black Press Okanagan
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Twila Amato

About the Author: Twila Amato

Twila was a radio reporter based in northern Vancouver Island. She won the Jack Webster Student Journalism Award while at BCIT and received a degree in ancient and modern Greek history from McGill University.
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