Meet Mikayel. This smiling little boy turned one just a few days ago. He is a calm and cheerful child who loves playing with others and enjoys physical exercises.

When Mikayel was 5 months old, his parents noticed that his legs seemed weak and that he could not support himself on them. Genetic testing later confirmed a serious genetic diagnosis: spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), type 1.

This disease causes progressive muscle weakness and atrophy. Without proper treatment, it can affect not only a child’s mobility, but also lead to breathing problems, swallowing difficulties, orthopedic complications, and other life-threatening conditions.

Thankfully, modern treatments that can change the course of the disease are now available in the world. One of the most accessible is Evrysdi (Risdiplam), a gene-targeted therapy that can significantly slow the progression of the disease and help preserve a child’s motor and respiratory functions, if treatment begins on time and continues without interruption.

But this vital medication is expensive and is still not available in Armenia. It has to be obtained from abroad with great difficulty. At the same time, Health Fund for Children of Armenia is working closely with the Ministry of Health to help make the medication available in Armenia in the near future.

At the moment, Mikayel’s monthly dose costs 304,000 AMD. The dosage changes as the child gains weight. To provide him with six months of treatment, 1,824,000 AMD is needed.

Every contribution can make a real difference for this little boy. With your help, Mikayel will have the chance to receive the treatment he urgently needs and continue his fight against this disease.