By Katelyn Dingman and Sarah Kucharski
Free Press Staff
The surgeries to remove six-year-old Shyanne Osmond’s arteriovenous malformation (AMV) have been scheduled but her homecoming may be delayed by a year.
The Osmond family flew out to Toronto two weeks ago to begin consultations with AVM specialists.
They had initial plans to seek treatment for Shyanne in Calgary, but due to a lack of experience, it was suggested by Boston Medical that the Osmonds get in touch with a team in Toronto who did have prior experience and who wanted to see Shyanne immediately.
On Jan. 12, Stephanie Rogers — an organizer for Shyanne’s spaghetti dinner fundraiser — posted an update to the Smiles for Shyanne Facebook page through Shyanne’s parents on the family’s living situation.
“The doctors in Toronto have said that they want to see Shyanne on a weekly basis following her surgery,” said Rogers, “and that could go on quite possibly for up to a year. So the family has no time to come back to Fernie for any extra clothes or necessities they may need.”
The Osmonds are currently staying at a hotel in Burlington, Ontario — a city located an hour outside of Toronto.
Shyanne’s first surgery, for embolization to stop the blood flow to her AVM, was scheduled for Jan. 20. The resection surgery will take place on Thursday, Jan. 22.
The family upgraded from their initial hotel to one with a better kitchen unit suitable for a longer-term stay but the need for a more permanent living situation is still dire.
This makes the funds raised from the spaghetti dinner and auction even more important.
Over the past few weeks organizers Chris Inglis and Stephanie Rogers have been working diligently to raise funds for the Osmond family through donations, along with selling tickets for the spaghetti dinner, which is scheduled to take place at the Fernie Community Centre on Saturday, Jan. 24 from 6-10 p.m.
Aside from local donations, a couple from Calgary presented Fernie Mayor Mary Giuliano with a sizeable donation last week.
Jacqueline and Dave Howard are owners of the Canadian Legacy Project organization — an organization typically focused on supporting veterans initiatives — but after hearing Shyanne’s story, the family, who own a winter home here in Fernie, felt compelled to support the Osmond family.
“We’ve decided that Fernie is going to be part of our lives and we’ve committed to coming out here a lot, so we wanted to help the community that we’d like to become a part of,” Jacqueline said. “It’s super obvious to us that everybody looks out for everybody in the community [and] we want to make sure we’re doing as much as we can for the people that have helped us too.”
Giuliano commended the Howard’s support, noting that often locals don’t give visitors the credit they deserve and accuse them of not contributing to the community.
“That’s not true, there’s a lot of compassionate people who come here because they love Fernie. They come year after year and they do get involved with the community and they do contribute,” Giuliano noted, adding, “I think what it shows is not only compassion for Shyanne and her medical condition, but I think it also shows the love and consideration they feel for Fernie.”
Jacqueline also said that she wants to challenge other Calgarians to step up and help out this six-year-old girl.
“We want to challenge other Calgarians that visit the community to donate and support the cause.”