Newsletter
Jasmine Bravo
28 Aug 2025
Jasmine is a happy and adventurous 12-year old, who was born with a rare and serious medical condition called Methylmalonic Acidemia (MMA) which affects her brain and muscles, making everyday tasks a challenge. Like other girls her age, Jasmine has many dreams for her future, but she needs a bit of extra support to make it easier for her to reach those dreams.
Speaking with Jasmine’s mum and dad Julie and Joel, it’s clear that Jasmine is a hugely positive and content 12-year-old: “You never really see her sad. If she's sad then there's something wrong usually. She's very much of an adventurous child and I think now that she has access to electric wheelchairs, she's more independent in that aspect so she really is loving doing things at the moment!”.
Jasmine's Diagnosis: The Challenges of Methylmalonic Acidemia (MMA)
Jasmine’s positive outlook on life comes despite the many challenges that have been thrown her way: Jasmine was born with a rare and genetic condition called Methylmalonic Acidemia (MMA) which affects how her body processes certain proteins and fats, which can lead to a build-up of harmful substances in her blood.
Mum, Julie tells us that a way of understanding Jasmine’s condition is that unaffected people can “continue eating protein and food: we make acid and we make energy with it. Jasmine doesn't stop making acid, so it just keeps building and building. If it's not treated, it's basically like what acid does - it corrodes. So, it attacks the organs and the motion part of the body and just breaks everything down until it will just stop working.”
Day to Day Adaptations to Life
Due to her condition, Jasmine has to be on a very low protein diet, meaning that the shop to the supermarket can involve a lot of calculations to ensure that her meals contain no more protein than is absolutely necessary. Naturally, certain foods can remind Jasmine of previous episodes which have made her unwell, and so “she’s very picky on what she eats and doesn’t really want to eat certain foods anymore, but she does like her veggie nuggets as a sneaky treat now and again though!”
Not only does MMA affect Jasmine’s diet, but she also has a weak immune system, which means that “where we would get a cold, Jasmine’s eventually would turn into the flu or something more sinister.” Of course, any hospital stay is scary for both the parents and child, but any setbacks in Jasmine’s health can also cause more development delays, which Jasmine finds so frustrating as “she has worked so hard to get where she is now”.
Determination for Equal Opportunities Whilst Living with a Rare Condition
Whilst these setbacks, Julie explains, are one of the most challenging aspects to Jasmine’s condition, her determination is one of her most admirable qualities; Julie says that “she's always trying to do something new. She's always trying to push beyond the boundaries of what people say she might not be able to do.”
Why Fundraising for Jasmine is Essential:
With weakened and unpredictable muscle function, Jasmine uses a wheelchair, but her family have found a wearable, electrically stimulating suit called the Mollii Suit
The Mollii Suit works by:
- Using electrical stimulation
- It can help to improve motor control and reduce spasticity in muscles, which is perfect for Jasmine.
- Being worn for an hour a day for around two to three weeks. This can, in time, be reduced to once every other day.
- Treatment is needed for around six-months to a year to make longer-lasting changes.
After trialing the Mollii Suit last year, Julie said that “you could see a massive difference in her. She usually has a supportive harness in her wheelchair to hold her up, but afterwards, she sat in a wheelchair, and she was like, ‘I don't want the harness’.” Julie removed the harness and immediately, after one hour of the trial she could sit up unaided, she could put both arms on the chair, looked at her mum and said “Mum, I need this suit.”
Why Jasmine's Family Need to Fundraise Privately:
Unfortunately, the Mollii Suit is not available on the NHS, and will cost Jasmine’s family £5,800 to purchase, which is one of the reasons that they are fundraising with Tree of Hope, but they are also fundraising for a trike, so that Jasmine can get out and live out her adventurous personality.
Dad Joel added that his goal with Jasmine is to “keep her happy. She knows about everything she can and can’t do, but as long as we keep her happy she's alright and accepts the way that she is.”
Jasmine's Dad
Why Accessibility and Inclusion is Vital
Jasmine is a lover of all things adventure and has recently attended some inclusive and accessible events including
- An adapted indoor ski session with the charity Whizz Kidz
- A virtual tour of Italy
Mum Julie points out that "there just needs to be a little bit more access to things as well for people with disabilities. It really helps when we can find different ways to adapt to things that we normally can do.”
“Being included is a big thing for her. I would say, don't judge a book by its cover. Just because you see her in a wheelchair, it doesn't mean she can't communicate. I think for the person in the wheelchair, it's rude to avoid them as they want to feel included in that aspect!”
Jasmine's Mum
Help Support Jasmine and her Family
Together, we can help Jasmine be included in all aspects of life, simply by supporting her fundraising campaign, to give her the opportunity to receive the life-changing Mollii Suit, to grant her more independence. Please check out her story here and donate to help get one step further to living life to the full!
https://www.treeofhope.org.uk/get-involved/childrens-campaigns/jasmine-bravo/
