![Meet Liljana](../images/friendraiser_uploads/1181.476159635.custom.jpg)
Meet Liljana |
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Bio:Before Liljana turned 2 years old, her health was a rollercoaster of allergies, asthma and colds that quickly escalated to pneumonia or bronchitis. After repeated illnesses, Liljana and her family embarked on a long journey to understand a rare genetic condition known as primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) and the role it may play in her health. PCD prevents your body from clearing out germs. A formal PCD diagnosis can be a complicated process, but St. Louis Children's Hospital is one of the only institutions paving the way with research. Liljana faced chronic lung, ear and sinus infections for many years. At some point, like most children, she contracted a stomach bug and became extremely sick. She became so sick that she had to be transported to St. Louis Children's via the Mobile Intensive Care Unit from her community hospital. When the same thing happened a few months later and suddenly there was a whole new set of symptoms, her family became even more concerned and perplexed. Despite her family's efforts, both Liljana and her twin brother, Roman, got COVID-19 in 2022 at the age of 9. The same day that she tested positive, Liljana's fever skyrocketed to a life-threatening 106 degrees, and she became very lethargic. Her mom, Michelle, took her immediately to the St. Louis Children's Emergency Department (ED). She managed to walk into the ED on her own, but within a few hours became unresponsive and had to be put on a ventilator. She was in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) for almost a week. A few weeks later, the unimaginable happened — her symptoms returned and Liljana was once again hospitalized. The St. Louis Children's team was determined to find answers. After 20 days in the PICU, Liljana was diagnosed with another rare condition known as adrenal insufficiency (AI). There is no cure, but it is manageable with medication. Her twin, Roman, who was also cared for emotionally by the Child Life team during the trauma of Liljana's illness, is thankful to have his sister healthy. |