Whitby, Ont., family hopes for critical procedure for 4-year-old daughter with cerebral palsy

The family of a four-year-old girl with cerebral palsy is raising money for her to get a potentially life-changing surgery.

However, the operation is not readily available and the family only has a limited amount of time.

Brielle Ross is a vibrant little girl who loves to sing, but her vocals can sometimes be quashed by her debilitating pain.

“At this point, it’s really unbearable,” Michelle Ross, Brielle’s mother, told Global News.

“I’m the one who stays a little more traumatized for her (when she endures spasms). Once she gets over that part, she’s happy.”

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Brielle lives with spastic diplegia, a form of cerebral palsy that tightens her leg muscles to the point where she is unable to walk on her own.

“She was born prematurely,” said Michelle.

“From the beginning we knew she would encounter a few challenges.”

Michelle and her husband, Sean, say those mobilization challenges have put a strain on them financially and emotionally.

“At times it’s become very difficult,” Sean said. “When we have that alone time together sometimes we will break down.”

The surgery Brielle needs is covered by health insurance in Ontario, but the process is long and is not guaranteed. The earliest age a child can apply for the surgery is four. The family says they immediately applied when their daughter turned that age, but currently have not been notified by SickKids hospital of a date of assessment.

Doctors say the procedure is the little girl’s best chance for a pain-free life.

“They could say, ‘yes, she’s good for surgery,’ but they could say not for this year, not for next year,” said Michelle.

“There’s a limited amount of children that will get it in a year.”

The family says due to not bearing to see their daughter suffer any further, they’ve turned to the United States, where Brielle was quickly approved for the procedure.

If Brielle undergoes the operation, Michelle says it will calm the spasms her body experiences, and could eventually help her walk independently.

However, the surgery, including therapy and accommodations, would cost the family about $85,000. Since last March, they have been raising funds, but so far have collected less than half of the money.

The family says time is of the essence as the funds are due on Feb. 15, with Brielle’s surgery scheduled for this upcoming March.

“This surgery will help,” Michelle said, adding the family is grateful for the community support they have received thus far.

“Continuous help, that’s what we need, and obviously the funding to give our daughter the best chance in life.”