Mya’s Journey

Hi everyone!

 

My older brother Trevor Belford and his wife Kayla Massicotte have two amazing sons, Jay, 5, and Ben, 2, and in late July welcomed the newest addition to their family — a beautiful baby girl named Mya.

 

We are here to share Mya’s story. Mya was born with a visible abnormality, that couldn’t be identified at birth. She was sent to Sick Kids right away, where mom and dad met her in the NICU. Mya was diagnosed with bladder exstrophy.

 

Bladder exstrophy is a rare condition, it affects around 1 in 50,000 people. It's a condition where the bladder and parts around it form inside-out. The skin, muscle, and pelvic bones at the lower part of the belly are not joined. As a result, the inside of the bladder is outside the belly.

 

The family has been anxiously awaiting a set date for the surgery. The day of surgery is set to January 18th. The surgery will take place in Toronto — 2 hours away from the family’s home in Wasaga Beach.

 

Her surgical plan includes closing her bladder, reconstructing her abdominal wall and joining her pelvic bones. Recovery at SickKids is estimated to be 4-6 weeks.

 

Trevor and Kayla have had only a few weeks to prepare a plan for not only Mya’s recovery, but also for what the weeks ahead will look like for their two boys. Both Kayla and Trevor will be visiting the hospital daily. While they are away, Trevor will be off work for at least 8 weeks.

 

They’ve been squeezing their 3 kids extra tight this holiday season and are grateful to have spent Mya’s first Christmas at home!

 

There are so many caring people around their family and many have reached out to ask how they can help. Talking with friends and family, we have decided to rally together to raise some funds for while they are away from home, to help with things like accommodations, food, gas, parking, and any other expenses that may come up along the way.

 

Thank you so much for your positive thoughts, prayers and generosity! The family is touched by the outpouring of love and support for baby Mya. We are so grateful!


Update: We’ve increased the funding limit for donations. Truly blessed by all the love and support received from friends and family. We aren’t fully aware of all the expenses that will incur while Trevor and Kayla are away in Toronto as well as those to come with Mya’s recovery. Any donations received beyond what is needed for Mya will be donated to SickKids hospital.