Getting Sierra (Sie) Over Her Biggest Hurdle Yet

Sierra had lost over 45 lbs, has excruciating chest and stomach pain and experiences weird sensations in her legs. She has a number of other symptoms which has taken the last couple of high school years away from her.  After having over 200 needles to test for countless diseases and having been seen by every specialist possible, she is still in pain. X-rays, GI tests, scans and numerous evaluations by countless doctors and still no luck.  We reached out to the Naturopathic world to find hopefully find some answers. At first she was tested for Lyme, we received a weak positive. They told us she had Lyme so we felt we now had something we could treat. We searched everywhere to find somebody who had been treating Lyme patients in Canada. A Local clinic proceeded to treat her but we were having now positive results. We discovered a doctor in Richmond BC who was having great success. We took Sierra to see him but through more tests it was discovered she in fact never had Lyme. The Naturopath recommended taking a mycotoxins test.  After taking the test, which was send to a lab in the states, the results indicated high counts of four different types of mold in her system. Mold we discovered could cause her to have all the symptoms she was experiencing.

By the time we received the results her weight had gotten dangerously low and her HR was in the thirties. We were now trying to keep her alive. We brought her to the hospital where she was admitted immediately.  It was agreed upon with the team our initial focus would be weight restoration. The mold results unfortunately would have to wait until Sierra's weight and vitals signs were brought back to normal.

She was on bed rest for a number of days until her vital signs improved. She was connected to a HR monitor constantly and for the first few weeks on constant observation by nursing staff.  Given Sierra's gritty nature she started to respond quickly and things started to improve. 

Our girl has been through so much. We have been through so much....The cost to try and get her better has been staggering, but what do you do. You do what you need to do to get her better. Eighteen months of pain, sleepless nights, tears...lots of tears. We have spent so much energy and we will spend what ever is left to find an answer.  Our business has suffered greatly. How do you concentrate on work when somebody in your family is suffering so much. You do your best to keep it all together but life around you doesn't stop moving. The bills keep coming. Everything that can break and go wrong seems to have done so during this trying time. We are workers, we love to work, our life was going in a great direction and all of a sudden we are off the rails. Our girl is off the rails and we need help getting back on. Although she is out of danger the long road continues.


Sierra is a national level athlete previously in gymnastics and currently track and field. She was doing everything right. Eating right, getting the correct amount of sleep and doing everything in training that would enable her to hopefully reach her goals. She was loving life. 

After coming away from her most successful Legion Track and Field Nationals where she won three medals she was even more motivated to train and keep aspiring towards her goals. She started the 2018 out door season with a bang striving to meet the qualifying times to make the Canadian National Youth Olympics. Although she came up just a little short on reaching that goal it never seemed to dampen her vibrant full of life spirit. Her goal now was to prepare to compete at the Legion nationals once again where she knew she would be in tough going into a higher age category, against some of the  fastest hurdlers in the country. During the summer something didn't feel right for Sierra. She started blacking out during her races and her legs started were not responding and were feeling numb in areas. She was having burning chest pain and her stomach was off more frequently than it had been in the past. She continued to train and went to the Legion Nationals not feeling at the top of her game. Her 100 m hurdle race didn't go so well but she was able to bounce back and have a great 400 m hurdle race.

Still not feeling good we went to Florida on a planned family holiday. Throughout the trip she was having stomach pain and chest pain. Her weight seemed to be dropping daily with no apparent reason. Sierra was eating well and trying to enjoy her holiday

The first day back we took her to the hospital where we walked away with no reasons as to why she was not well. Time and time again this story played out as we took her to the emergency department several times. We took her to a cardiologist who said her heart was fine, a neurologist who check her system said everything was working properly. Because her weight had dropped so low somebody recommended the eating disorder clinic. She spent three weeks in the hospital regaining her strength and trying desperately to get her weight up. She ate everything without question and slowly she started to regain her strength.  After leaving the hospital her chest, stomach pain and unusual symptoms persisted regardless of how high she was able to get her weight up. 

The second time around, back in the hospital Sierra is still fighting everyday to get her health back, to get her life back. Please join our team and help get her over this enormous hurdle. Thanks so much to the IWK  and the doctors and nurses who have been able to stabilize Sierra's health, so she can start the long road to recovery and fulfill her life long dreams. Any support that could be provided would be greatly appreciated.