Meet Laura

Laura is a 6 year-old girl who has an incurable genetic disease called “Familial Mediterranean Fever.” After almost two years of being sick with weekly fevers, night sweats, rashes, chronic diarrhea and joint pains, she was finally diagnosed with this rare condition. Between Laura’s fragile illness, urgent trips to the hospital, and the needs of her other two young children, her single mother has not been able to work. Recently, after a long stay in the hospital for Laura, the family fell behind on its bills and requested urgent help. ASLR stepped in to pay rent, electric bill, child care for siblings and gas cards for the six hour trip to the hospital. Since then Laura’s little brother was diagnosed with the same condition, and ASRL keeps in touch to make sure that the family is okay.

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The Andre Sobel River of Life Foundation (a 501(c)(3) public charity) provides emergency assistance within 24 hours to single caregivers of children with catastrophic or life threatening illnesses who are in financial crises. Working in partnership with 12 pediatric hospitals nationally, we have helped over 7,000 family members in the past nine years. Without ASRL’s support, many children with life threatening illnesses would be facing pain, treatments, fear, and at times, even their death, without a parent by their side.