At just three years old, Mila was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, a chronic autoimmune condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this lifelong condition most often begins in childhood and requires constant blood sugar monitoring and insulin therapy.
But within six months of her diagnosis, Mila’s journey grew even more complex. She began experiencing seizure-like symptoms, later identified as part of a rare and challenging diagnosis: epilepsy and autoimmune encephalitis with GAD65 antibodies. As described by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), autoimmune encephalitis is a group of conditions in which the immune system attacks the brain, and GAD65-positive encephalitis is one of its rarest forms, often leading to seizures, cognitive decline, and behavioral changes.
Once a bubbly little girl who thrived on connection and play, Mila’s world was turned upside down.
“She was no longer able to engage with other kids. She became aggressive, withdrawn. It was like watching my happy child disappear,” her mother recalls.
Determined to find answers, Mila’s mother sought care from specialists across the country, from hospitals in Arizona to medical centers in California and Washington, D.C. But as a single mom of three, the emotional and financial toll quickly became overwhelming.
“We were already in debt from medical bills,” she shares. “The flights, the hotels… I didn’t know how I was going to keep taking her to these appointments. Then I found Miracle Flights, and everything changed.”
Thanks to Miracle Flights, Mila has access to monthly immunotherapy treatments at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, one of the nation’s leading pediatric centers. These treatments are helping to manage her condition and give her family renewed hope for improved behavior and seizure control.
“It gives me peace,” her mother says. “Planning trips for Mila’s care is so hard. Miracle Flights has lifted a huge weight off my shoulders. They make it possible for us to keep going.”
While Mila’s medical journey is still unfolding, she’s no longer walking it alone. Behind every flight is more than just a journey—it’s a lifeline. For Mila, it’s a path to healing, resilience, and the return of the childhood that illness tried to take away.
