Ava Brown, 13, has big dreams of working for NASA but in 2021 she was diagnosed with a life-threatening peanut allergy that poses a risk of anaphylaxis.
To address this and help Ava with her dreams, Ava’s mum, Carla Brown is seeking funding to begin a type of Oral Immunotherapy called Palforzia. This treatment would help her body recognise peanut protein as safe and reduce the risk of severe allergic reactions.
Carla said: “Regrettably, this treatment has not been offered to us through the NHS, due to its availability and we are faced with the need to fund it privately, which can be quite expensive.
Ava dreams of working for NASA (Image: Carla Brown) “Depending on the private clinic we are accepted to, costs may exceed £20,000, including travel to clinics.
“Our goal is to raise £15,000 by the end of 2025 to provide significant assistance in obtaining this essential and potentially life-changing treatment for Ava.”
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At the moment Ava’s allergy is so severe she can react to trace amounts of peanuts which means she has to navigate life carefully to avoid cross-contamination.
Carla said: “She was in a singing lesson at school and the girl next to her had eaten a Snickers bar and even just opening her mouth to sing, there must have been particles in the air and Ava could feel her throat tickling.
“Luckily she has great friends around her who know not to bring anything with peanuts to school. She also carries around two EpiPens with her to be safe.”
The teen wants to become an egineer (Image: Carla Brown) Despite this setback, Ava remains determined and is diligently working in school with the goal of becoming an engineer and applying to NASA.
Ava has on two occasions, donated her hair to the Little Princess Trust while also raising funds for the organisation. She is currently growing her hair for a third donation.
Carla said: “We are a working family, with Ava’s dad being a serving military member, and I work part-time and am also a carer for our disabled son.
“I would love to raise money for Ava to start OIT, so she can start living her life to her full potential, making dreams come true and helping to build spacecraft to help discover the unknown.”
If you want to donate and help Ava out then click HERE to donate to her GoFundMe page.