Family and friends are raising funds for a 13-year-old Auburn girl struck with a rare asthma attack that’s left her blind and in the hospital.

Megan Freitas was rushed to the hospital Oct. 2, the day after a routine visit to her asthma doctor, great-aunt Ruby Levesque said. Mom Kelly Freitas had found her breathing heavily in her sleep that morning. From Central Maine Medical Center she was taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland, where Megan went into cardiac arrest.

“She needed CPR for 26 minutes,” said Jan Aliberti, Megan’s grandmother.

The episode left her with fluid on her lungs, swelling in her brain and a rare diagnosis: asthma-asphyxiation.

Slowly, she’s begun to recover, but doctors at the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital at Maine Med say it will be 18 months before it’s clear if she has lingering issues, Aliberti said. Megan has taken a few steps, with help. Her voice is getting stronger.

“Megan is very bubbly. She just loves people,” Aliberti said.

Her granddaughter had been reading the popular “Twilight” books.

“She was looking forward to the movie. As she said now, ‘At least I can hear it,'” Aliberti said. “She is teaching us all a great lesson about being positive.”

Before the attack, Megan was taking piano lessons, and she played softball. She’s been a happy, healthy teen except for the asthma, Aliberti said.

“She was riding her bike the night before,” Levesque added. “She is such a beautiful, vibrant girl.”

Family and friends have already held two fundraisers for the family. Megan’s mother, Kelly, works at Liberty Mutual. Her father, Tom, works for the city of Lewiston. The family has health insurance. The funds being raised will cover additional medical expenses and any improvements that might be needed for their home, such as a ramp.

The next fundraiser is scheduled for Friday. Family and friends are selling tickets to Friday night’s Maineiacs hockey game, with a portion of sales going to the Megan Freitas’ Fund. They’ll be on hand that night selling tickets to a raffle with donated prizes like Celtics and Bruins tickets, 100 gallons of oil and restaurant gift certificates. That drawing is planned for Dec. 13.

They’ve also created a Megan Freitas’ Fund at Community Credit Union.

For more information on the raffle or the game tickets, call 783-9716 or 577-5295.