Barron Miles is part of the fabric of Canada and the CFL. He’s been a Hall of Fame player, a coach, mentor, team mate and friend but most of all he’s been a father. He has given much to Canada and right now he needs our support. His daughter Ava needs our help. She deserves to have her life back and have a future. We can help if we rally together as a community.

For more than three years, Jennifer and Barron have watched their daughter, Ava, endure unimaginable pain while fighting for her life with severe gastrointestinal and vascular complications resulting from a MALS diagnosis (Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome). What should have been some of the happiest years of her young life have instead been filled with hospital rooms, medical procedures, uncertainty and fear. She lives by tube feeding, constant pain and days full of vomiting.

Ava has endured repeated hospitalizations, countless tests and procedures, and three life-threatening episodes of sepsis. Through it all, she has shown extraordinary courage and determination, even on the days when simply getting through the next hour felt impossible.

After exhausting every available treatment option in Arizona, Ava's medical team delivered devastating news. They had done everything they could. The specialized care that Ava needed could only be found at Cleveland Clinic.

For Jennifer and Barron, it was a moment that changed everything.

Their daughter's chance at recovery depended on treatment hundreds of miles from home. Yet, despite the recommendations of her physicians, United Healthcare insurance denied coverage for Ava's emergency air ambulance and the specialized care she needed because it was considered out of network. Even today they still continue to deny coverage. Faced with an impossible choice, Ava's parents did what any loving parent would do. They refused to give up.

They drained their savings. They used retirement funds, sold their vehicle. They downsized their lives. They sacrificed everything they could because nothing mattered more than helping their daughter.

Thanks to the incredible generosity of friends, family, and supporters, Ava was able to receive lifesaving treatment at Cleveland Clinic in 2024. Every donation, prayer, message, and act of kindness helped carry this family through one of the darkest periods of their lives. For that they are forever grateful.

BUT AVA’S FIGHT IS NOT OVER!

Today, Ava continues to live with debilitating pain, relentless nausea and daily vomiting. Every day is a struggle. While most young people are building careers, making memories with friends, and planning for their futures, Ava is simply trying to make it through another day without overwhelming pain.

Recent medical evaluations indicate that additional vascular complications may be contributing to her ongoing illness. Her doctors believe she urgently needs further evaluation and likely additional surgery at Cleveland Clinic.

Time matters!

Every day that passes is another day Ava spends suffering and waiting for answers.

The physicians at Cleveland Clinic recognize the urgency of Ava's condition and have placed her high on the list to be seen. If the necessary funds can be raised, Ava has the opportunity to be evaluated in August 2026, giving her a critical chance to receive the specialized care she urgently needs.

To be completely transparent, the funds raised through the previous US Go Fund Me campaign have been fully used up for Ava's medical care. The financial burden has been overwhelming, including over $300,000 USD out of pocket.

Now, as Ava prepares for the next stage of care, her family once again faces expenses they cannot manage alone.

That is why we are humbly asking for your help.

Your donation will help cover:

• Medical evaluations and testing-$52,000 CAN

• Surgical expenses-$187,000 CAN

• Hospital and treatment costs-$77,000 CAN

• Travel and accommodations for care at Cleveland Clinic-$28,000 CAN

• Medications and recovery support-$10,000 CAN

• Ongoing medical expenses-$48,000+ CAN

Every donation, including any amount, every prayer, every message of encouragement reminds Ava and her family that they are not fighting this battle alone. Please consider sharing Ava's story. Even a single share may reach the person who can make all the difference.

After everything Ava has endured, our greatest hope is simple: that she can finally receive the care she needs, find relief from her suffering, and begin to reclaim the life this illness has taken from her.

Thank you for standing beside Ava and her family. Your kindness, compassion, and generosity provide hope at a time when hope is needed most.

Please help us get Ava back to Cleveland Clinic and one step closer to healing.

“As a father it breaks your heart to see your child suffer. As a coach you ask the team to rally when things are tough. I’m asking you to step up and help Ava and the Miles family”

Wally Buono

*Please note there is a current active Go fund Me page in the USA. We are running one in Canada to allow people to donate in Canadian currency.