Gidley Family

Please consider helping us raise money for the Gidley Family... they are wonderful people and have had such a difficult time with their daughter being so sick in hospital for months and now Cheryl's husband Robert is in hospital with cancer. Cheryl has had so many extra expences with travel to Toronto hospitals and accomodations and with so much time off work... it can't be easy. Please show your support and no amount is too small.


November 27th Becky was admitted to GBGH in Midland with severe abdominal pain. Five days later she had the first of a number of seizures.

December 12th at GBGH in Midland. Becky was still able to move and hug her dog Callen who was allowed in to ICU for a visit. She was losing movement in her arms and legs and was on a waiting list to get transfered to a Toronto hospital

December 16th Becky was transferred to Toronto Western Hospital under the care of the neurology team who were trying to diagnose what was going on with her. She was rapidly losing the use of her arms and legs. On New Year's Eve her breathing became compromised because her diaphragm muscles were becoming paralyzed too. She was intubated on January 2nd and put on full life support. 


 On January 5th a diagnosis of Acute Intermittent Porphyria was made. It is an extremely rare genetic blood disease. Even more rare is that it would present and progress so quickly. Only five days from the abdominal pain to the first of the seizures. A drug called Panhemotine was what was needed to stop the viseral attack however it is not readily  available in Canada and in fact not on the list of approved drugs for use in Canada. Because of this the medical team had to get permission from Health Canada to bring the drug up from the States. It tooks days for that to happen. Because the attack had been happening in Becky's body for five weeks it had caused  caused severe nerve damage.

January 16th. Callen was allowed to visit Becky in the ICU at Toronto Western. She wasn't able to pet him but could feel his fur and feel him breathing against her.

Becky was unable to talk for many  weeks.  After a time she could communicate by nodding her head yes or no when someone pointed to letters on a laminated page. It could take up to 10 minutes to get one sentance spelled out. Dispite that she thought it was amazing to be able to communitcate again.

February 11th - Becky  was transferred to Royal Victoria Hospital in Barrie.
The Porphyria had been brought under control with a number of drug teatments however her body was left paralzyed because the toxins had attached her nerves. 
The doctors say the nerves will grow back slowly, 1-2mm per day but know one knows for sure how much mobility she will get back. In her favor are youth, good health before the Porphyria attack, and fierce determination! Recovery will be long and slow.

Rebekah and her beloved dog Callen - Feb 25th in Barrie hospital .
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In January and early February Robert had chemo and radiation treatment for esophageal cancer.
On March 2nd he had surgery during which a section of his esophagus and part of his stomach was removed.
. It was a major and very involved surgery. He came home eight days later but after just 3 days at home he was taken to the Midland hospital by ambulance. Two days later her was taken down to Toronto Eastern Hospital. He was in septic shock and having great difficulty breathing and so he too was put on full life support.  A second surgery had to be done on March 15th.  On March 22nd He was transferred to Southlake Hospital in Newmarket.  He is considered stable now but will have a long road to complete recovery. He isn't yet strong enough to breath on his own so he is still on a ventilator.

Cheryl and Robert