Sick girl's family fundraises to pay for procedure in U.S.

The family of an 11-year-old Edmonton girl with sickle cell disease is hoping to raise enough money for her to receive a procedure in the United States.

Naomi Fiogbe takes drugs every day and gets a blood transfusion every three weeks to deal with a disease that can cause chronic pain, strokes and even death.

A month ago, Naomi’s brother found her hemorrhaging on the bathroom floor. 

“I was glad that they saved me or else I wouldn’t be here,” she said as she broke down in tears..

“I’m really glad that my brother went upstairs. Sometimes you don’t like your brother because he is so mean and stuff, but he’s actually nice.”

After five years of blood transfusions, Naomi’s parents are looking at a procedure offered by a U.S. hospital. -- a rare stem cell bone marrow transplant.

However, the procedure will cost the family $60,000 -- so they’re looking for help. They’ve set up a Facebook page and a page on a fundraising site to raise money for Naomi’s treatment.

“We think that Naomi, who already had a tough life and underwent an organ failure already, cannot support the IV, chemotherapy and radiation," said her father Jose Fiogbe.