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An Australian brother and sister, both living with a debilitating illness, have been banned from seeing each other as one fights for life in a Melbourne hospital.
On Tuesday, Claudia Coll, 18, and Jordan, 13, both with cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease that attacks their respiratory and digestive systems, were separated when "the unthinkable" occurred.
The brothers and sisters in Melbourne spent years away from their parents, Peter and Kate, and two other siblings, defending themselves against recurrent infections and undergoing painful surgeries.
Claudia was even forced to have her lungs removed in 2012.
Claudia and Jordan spent years at the hospital struggling to survive. Image: Yahoo
But earlier this week, Claudia suffered a lung transplant after catching a deadly virus called Burkholderia cepacia, which means she can no longer be near her brother, according to a Yahoo News report.
Burkholderia cepacia is particularly dangerous in patients with cystic fibrosis because of their already weakened immune system. Doctors at Monash Children's Hospital said Claudia and Jordan had probably taken it in their youth, playing outside in the mud.
Mr. Coll told the publication that his daughter's health had quickly deteriorated a month earlier, when her lung function had dropped to "less than 30%".
After taking antibiotics, things did not improve and she was transferred to Alfred Hospital where her father was informed of "the unthinkable".
"I'm in a mess," said Mr. Coll.
The Coll family has rallied behind Claudia and Jordan for years to fight the disease.
"It was said that with the lungs that she had, she would have six weeks (to live), but if she worsened, it could go to six o'clock."
However, life-saving surgery means that Claudia has to sacrifice her time with her brother – who also has the same virus – because the transplant weakens her immune system, which, according to Mr. Coll, would be extremely painful for the couple who "adores".
The brothers and sisters have developed a strong bond by helping each other to stay positive and to fight against the insects that come their way.
Peter Coll is "in a mess" after discovering that his daughter has weeks to live. Image: Go finance me
A Go Fund Me page was created to help pay for Claudia's care and support the family while she was at the bedside of her in the hospital.
The page has already raised nearly $ 50,000 in just five days.
Mr. Coll told the publication that if Jordan got in touch with his immunocompromised sister, she could die.
"It's more so in the beginning that she could become skeptical as her immune system recovers," Coll said.
"With B. cepacia, you never know what's going to happen, you do not know how long they can stay apart."
Claudia is now fighting for life at the hospital and requires an urgent lung transplant.
Coll children are extremely close and support each other.
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