Support Amari’s Journey to Recovery

Dear friends, family, and kind-hearted strangers,

We’re reaching out to share the story of our amazing little sister, Amari. She’s a vibrant and resilient 4-year-old who has been through more than most of us could imagine, yet her spirit continues to shine.

In August 2023, while on our family farm, Amari accidentally drank a chemical cleaner, mistaking it for water. The chemicals caused severe damage to her esophagus and stomach, and she was immediately rushed to the hospital, where she spent two weeks in the ICU.

To give her body time to heal, doctors inserted a G-tube for feeding. We were hopeful that her throat would eventually recover and allow her to eat normally again. However, as time passed, scar tissue formed, narrowing her esophagus. Amari had trouble breathing and swallowing, which often led to choking and vomiting.

Despite multiple procedures to stretch her esophagus, the scar tissue continued to build up, restricting her ability to breathe and swallow. During the final dilation, her esophagus tore irreparably, and doctors had no choice but to remove it entirely. As you can imagine, this was a difficult surgery for Amari, and her recovery was challenging as she could no longer eat or drink normally. A drain was inserted into her throat to manage her saliva, and she was fed through the G-tube connected to a food pump that she carried around in a backpack. Since her stomach remained empty, she often felt hungry and frustrated that she couldn’t eat, especially because she loves food so much!

After several more surgeries and many months of healing, doctors were able to rebuild a makeshift esophagus using part of her stomach. This allowed her to start eating again, which was a huge milestone.

However, Amari continues to face setbacks and battle constant complications. The many medical procedures over the past year (16 to be exact!) have damaged her vocal cords, which are now swollen and out of place, causing her to choke on her saliva and wound secretions. For the past few months, her voice has been limited to a whisper, making communication difficult. Most recently, she underwent a tracheostomy to help her breathe while doctors prepare for a full rebuild of her vocal cords. This has compromised her health further, as the tracheostomy is another potential source of infection, and there is always the risk that her breathing could be compromised.

Amari is expected to stay at the Edmonton Stollery Children’s Hospital for the next two months to recover from the tracheostomy, with another major surgery on the horizon to rebuild her voice box. This upcoming procedure will be a full-day surgery, followed by a lengthy recovery. During this time, Amari will need round-the-clock supervision to ensure her tracheostomy remains secure and her ability to breathe is not at risk.

Our parents have been by her side every step of the way, balancing work with long commutes and extended hospital stays. They’ve had to take significant time off work, often for weeks at a time, and have rarely been able to spend time together as they alternate shifts to be with Amari in between work hours. As a result, both the emotional and financial strain on our family has begun to mount. We are asking for help to support Amari’s ongoing care and to ease some of the pressure on our family during this difficult time.

Any form of support—whether through donations, prayers, sharing this campaign, or offering words of encouragement—means the world to us. Your generosity will help cover hospital-related expenses, medical supplies like bandaging for her feeding and breathing tubes, Amari’s nutrient-rich formula, and a care aide to assist with her recovery.

We are deeply grateful for your kindness and support. Thank you for being part of Amari’s journey!

With appreciation,

The van Os Family