Support Ryo Yelle’s Healing Journey
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Update:
Thank you for your all support. We were able to see a neurologist right away who listened at bc children hospital because of other pediatric neurologists and neurosurgeon team’s voice from a different country. Now when things are happen, he will be taken care over there. We are just at the start point for this. We are exhausted that fighting of this just to make Drs believe for more than a year, seeing lots of specialists, and huge trip spending money over sea for medical and Ryo’s dad absence from work.
Ryo’s symptoms is getting worse and worse. We are really hoping that he could be back to when he was just playing not thinking of health with his peers. I would like to thank you that who believed us and me. brain injury physio therapist, phycologist who specializes for brain injury almost a year who has been advocating that he needs right care and support and Dr.Kent. And friends and family and neighbors, pediatric neurologists from other provinces, neurologists for adult in Victoria, Lots of people who I emailed and called. Thank you very very much.
Again this is just start. His symptoms are progressing. Ryo is very positive that Dr at BCCH can help even there might be not cured, or maybe we will have results from other’s country hospital.( waiting for a result) Everyone’s support past, present and future is greatly appreciated.
I am Ryo’s mother, and I am writing this to ask for your help to get Ryo the medical treatment he desperately needs. Ryo is a bright, happy and kind seven-year-old boy, but 2 years ago he suffered a traumatic brain injury during recess at school. Unfortunately any staffs didn’t see but kids saw it. Just as he was recovering from this terrible accident, he suffered another concussion at school that derailed his recovery and left him with worsening neurological difficulties.
After many desperate months of doctors’ visits and neurological evaluations, we are still unable to have Ryo seen by a pediatric neurologist at the BC Children’s Hospital that specializes in these types of brain injuries in young children, despite many recommendations from local/ other province neurologists.
Before his injuries Ryo was a healthy, active boy that was learning to read and write alongside his peers. He loved physical activities such as dance, karate and especially soccer. His head traumas left him with nausea, headaches, memory loss, incontinence, blurred vision, not able to hold a pencil, behaviour and emotional changes and he lost a lot of ground in his reading and writing skills. In the 6 months since his second head injury, we have seen some of Ryo’s symptoms improve, thankfully, but others have gotten worse. He can’t feel his right/left forearm and has lost sensation at his fingertips, and his wrist stays folded at a 90-degree angle sometimes. When he is tired, he slurs his words and has trouble expressing his thoughts. Moreover he started walking weird.
As we wait to have him seen by a pediatric neurologist, we end up again and again at the Emergency Room and the GP’s office, but they are limited in what they can do for him and we were not listened more than a year. We are not allowed to use urgent care anymore with this matter. Our pediatrician has been incredibly supportive and has advocated so much for Ryo to get the specialized help he desperately needs, but he passed away recently and we feel we have lost one of our best allies in this fight to get our child swift medical attention in an overstretched system.
Recently, Ryo has begun having difficulty walking in a straight line, and we have decided we cannot wait any longer to be seen in BC. I am taking Ryo overseas to be evaluated immediately and get the treatment that will help his beautiful brain heal.
We are young parents of three young children, and our limited savings will not cover all of the costs to get Ryo the help he needs. We fear we may be forced to sell our home to cover the expenses of travel, medical treatment and time away from work to care for Ryo’s sibling.
I am asking for your help to raise $25k to help offset some of the costs of medical treatment abroad. Every donation will help.
Thank you for reading and for giving what you can. If you are unable to donate financially, please help by sharing Ryo’s story on your socials so that everyone that knows and cares about him can be reached.
Video of some of Ryo's symptoms:
Gratefully,
Aina
Organizer
Aina Yelle
Organizer
Sooke, BC