A little boy from Abbotsford who survived a drowning in Cultus Lake is on a slow road to recovery, and needs help to take the next step.

Azaryah (Ryah) Hope will be traveling to New Orleans soon to access hyperbaric oxygen treatment that isn乌鸦传媒檛 covered by health care and available with the necessary level of expertise in B.C.

乌鸦传媒淭here乌鸦传媒檚 an amazing specialist (Dr. Paul Harch) who乌鸦传媒檚 been doing this for 30-plus years and you could say he乌鸦传媒檚 an icon in the field,乌鸦传媒� said Ryah乌鸦传媒檚 mom Natalie. 乌鸦传媒淗e treats a lot of drowning victims, and in particular children like my son. When it comes to kids with these issues, and because it乌鸦传媒檚 so soon after the injury, what we乌鸦传媒檝e been told is it requires a lot of doctors knowing what to look for in a patient and and how they respond to the treatment.

乌鸦传媒淭here乌鸦传媒檚 all these details and it乌鸦传媒檚 one of those things where you don乌鸦传媒檛 wnat to risk doing it with someone who doesn乌鸦传媒檛 know this specific injury, because all of these variables come into play. You don乌鸦传媒檛 want to experiment with your child, so that乌鸦传媒檚 why we乌鸦传媒檙e doing it with Dr. Harch.乌鸦传媒�

Ryah and his family need to charter a properly-outfitted airplane to get there, and they乌鸦传媒檒l have to stay in Louisiana for two months before coming home. The three-year-old will need ongoing support when he gets back, including the use of a home-version hyperbaric chamber. When all is said and done, mom Natalie Hope figures it乌鸦传媒檒l cost the family around $300,000 to $400,000.

But you could triple that and she wouldn乌鸦传媒檛 care. All that matters is getting her son well.

乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檚 been home for a few days now, which is incredible,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檚 responding to us in terms of his emotion. He can feel, touch, and all that kind of stuff. He乌鸦传媒檚 smiling and laughing and crying, and he乌鸦传媒檚 needing less and less life-support type of monitoring, which is a huge good sign. So every day we乌鸦传媒檙e seeing improvement, but it乌鸦传媒檚 a process. It乌鸦传媒檚 a journey.乌鸦传媒�

It乌鸦传媒檚 been a roller coaster of emotion for Natalie and husband Cam since their child was pulled from the waters of Cultus Lake on June 1.

乌鸦传媒淗e was gone. He didn乌鸦传媒檛 have a heartbeat when I pulled him out and started CPR,乌鸦传媒� Natalie said. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 one of those things you never think is going to happen and it was like a living nightmare.乌鸦传媒�

Ryah was on a ventilator, barely responsive for days afterwards. Natalie and Cam were told he乌鸦传媒檇 probably never come off the ventilator. He was on heart and oxygen monitors. He had pneumonia and a collapsed lung.

Now he乌鸦传媒檚 breathing on his own and maintaining a relatively normal sleep schedule for a toddler. The 乌鸦传媒榥eurological storms乌鸦传媒� that he experienced are getting less frequent and less severe, and he乌鸦传媒檚 been able to go off some of the heavier medications he was on.

乌鸦传媒淭he fact that he乌鸦传媒檚 there, inside, when you乌鸦传媒檝e been told he乌鸦传媒檚 never going to be there, he乌鸦传媒檚 never going to do this or do that 乌鸦传媒� for him to defy all the odds keeps me going. We are faith people (they go to Hope City Church in Abbotsford) and that乌鸦传媒檚 been a huge part of our journey, seeing God help him defy the odds. All these little miracles have been confirmation of our faith and to keep praying.乌鸦传媒�

Ryah乌鸦传媒檚 motor functions are now the big concern, and that乌鸦传媒檚 where the hyperbaric treatments are supposed to help. The Hopes are going to New Orleans because Dr. Paul Harch is a rock star in the field. He乌鸦传媒檚 done this sort of thing for 30-plus years and helped children in Ryah乌鸦传媒檚 position. Natalie and Cam connected with the parents of two other kids in similar situations who went through hyperbaric oxygen treatment.

乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檝e done a few consultations with him and you can tell he乌鸦传媒檚 very passionate about helping people,乌鸦传媒� Natalie said. 乌鸦传媒淲e feel confident with him treating Azaryah.乌鸦传媒�

As she understands it, hyperbaric oxygen treatments increase stem cells in the body to the point where dying brain cells can be brought back to life. Harch wrote a book about it called 乌鸦传媒�The Oxygen Revolution.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 pretty incredible if you think about it, and those kids he treated are thriving today,乌鸦传媒� Natalie said. 乌鸦传媒淭hey乌鸦传媒檙e walking and talking and pretty close to the way they were before their accidents.乌鸦传媒�

A GoFundMe that was created June 2 () is nearing $28,000 and the family is grateful for the help. Natalie is uncomfortable asking for more, but the sooner they get Ryah乌鸦传媒檚 treatments started the better the outcome is likely to be.

乌鸦传媒淚f you have a child, you know you would do anything to get them healthy and happy,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淓ven a little amount helps because small amounts in large numbers can totally make this happen. Just peoples乌鸦传媒� hearts doing what they can, and if they can乌鸦传媒檛 give financially, their prayers are a huge help to us.

乌鸦传媒淧eoples乌鸦传媒� love and willingness to lend a helping hand carries you through stuff like this. The prayers and encouragement and people dropping off meals at our house, it has been overwhelming.乌鸦传媒�

eric.welsh@theprogress.com
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