My name is Daniela, I am 10 years old. I grow up in a family with two sisters, I am the middle child. I study at Vaivari Primary School, I am very sociable, and I like people, but not everyone likes me because a lot of people don’t understand me.

Daniela’s story

I was born on time and without any complications, everything was perfect until one day I fell ill. I was 1 year and 3 months old then. What kind of illness was it? Nobody could tell my mum and dad, they just said it was a bad nightmare that they hoped would never happen again. However, it recurred again after 6 months. Doctors examined me more closely and it turned out to be febrile seizures. The seizures tormented me once or twice a year until I was five years old. At the age of five, they disappeared, but I still couldn’t tell what hurt and what I wanted, so I was examined and diagnosed with sleep epilepsy. I take medication to reduce it, so that I can become a small and ordinary girl like my peers.

This illness has left lasting effects – speech and developmental disabilities, due to which I often have to play alone, even though I would like the company of children.

To facilitate my development and perhaps one day become independent in my daily routine, I have been receiving ABA therapy, which is very helpful. This therapy costs EUR 25.00, I need it 3-4 times a week, which adds up to a lot per month – around EUR 400.00.In addition, my family pays for my neurofeedback course and audiologist/speech therapist, and children like me require a lot of work, so we need help from other people to make it easier for my family.

ABA therapy costs my family EUR 4,800.00 / USD 5100  per year.