A little boy from Abbotsford who survived a drowning in Cultus Lake is on a slow road to recovery, and needs help to take the next step.

Azaryah (Ryah) Hope will be traveling to New Orleans soon to access hyperbaric oxygen treatment that isn鈥檛 covered by health care and available with the necessary level of expertise in B.C.

鈥淭here鈥檚 an amazing specialist (Dr. Paul Harch) who鈥檚 been doing this for 30-plus years and you could say he鈥檚 an icon in the field,鈥� said Ryah鈥檚 mom Natalie. 鈥淗e treats a lot of drowning victims, and in particular children like my son. When it comes to kids with these issues, and because it鈥檚 so soon after the injury, what we鈥檝e been told is it requires a lot of doctors knowing what to look for in a patient and and how they respond to the treatment.

鈥淭here鈥檚 all these details and it鈥檚 one of those things where you don鈥檛 wnat to risk doing it with someone who doesn鈥檛 know this specific injury, because all of these variables come into play. You don鈥檛 want to experiment with your child, so that鈥檚 why we鈥檙e doing it with Dr. Harch.鈥�

Ryah and his family need to charter a properly-outfitted airplane to get there, and they鈥檒l have to stay in Louisiana for two months before coming home. The three-year-old will need ongoing support when he gets back, including the use of a home-version hyperbaric chamber. When all is said and done, mom Natalie Hope figures it鈥檒l cost the family around $300,000 to $400,000.

But you could triple that and she wouldn鈥檛 care. All that matters is getting her son well.

鈥淗e鈥檚 been home for a few days now, which is incredible,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 responding to us in terms of his emotion. He can feel, touch, and all that kind of stuff. He鈥檚 smiling and laughing and crying, and he鈥檚 needing less and less life-support type of monitoring, which is a huge good sign. So every day we鈥檙e seeing improvement, but it鈥檚 a process. It鈥檚 a journey.鈥�

It鈥檚 been a roller coaster of emotion for Natalie and husband Cam since their child was pulled from the waters of Cultus Lake on June 1.

鈥淗e was gone. He didn鈥檛 have a heartbeat when I pulled him out and started CPR,鈥� Natalie said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 one of those things you never think is going to happen and it was like a living nightmare.鈥�

Ryah was on a ventilator, barely responsive for days afterwards. Natalie and Cam were told he鈥檇 probably never come off the ventilator. He was on heart and oxygen monitors. He had pneumonia and a collapsed lung.

Now he鈥檚 breathing on his own and maintaining a relatively normal sleep schedule for a toddler. The 鈥榥eurological storms鈥� that he experienced are getting less frequent and less severe, and he鈥檚 been able to go off some of the heavier medications he was on.

鈥淭he fact that he鈥檚 there, inside, when you鈥檝e been told he鈥檚 never going to be there, he鈥檚 never going to do this or do that 鈥� for him to defy all the odds keeps me going. We are faith people (they go to Hope City Church in Abbotsford) and that鈥檚 been a huge part of our journey, seeing God help him defy the odds. All these little miracles have been confirmation of our faith and to keep praying.鈥�

Ryah鈥檚 motor functions are now the big concern, and that鈥檚 where the hyperbaric treatments are supposed to help. The Hopes are going to New Orleans because Dr. Paul Harch is a rock star in the field. He鈥檚 done this sort of thing for 30-plus years and helped children in Ryah鈥檚 position. Natalie and Cam connected with the parents of two other kids in similar situations who went through hyperbaric oxygen treatment.

鈥淲e鈥檝e done a few consultations with him and you can tell he鈥檚 very passionate about helping people,鈥� Natalie said. 鈥淲e feel confident with him treating Azaryah.鈥�

As she understands it, hyperbaric oxygen treatments increase stem cells in the body to the point where dying brain cells can be brought back to life. Harch wrote a book about it called 鈥�The Oxygen Revolution.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty incredible if you think about it, and those kids he treated are thriving today,鈥� Natalie said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e walking and talking and pretty close to the way they were before their accidents.鈥�

A GoFundMe that was created June 2 () is nearing $28,000 and the family is grateful for the help. Natalie is uncomfortable asking for more, but the sooner they get Ryah鈥檚 treatments started the better the outcome is likely to be.

鈥淚f you have a child, you know you would do anything to get them healthy and happy,鈥� she said. 鈥淓ven a little amount helps because small amounts in large numbers can totally make this happen. Just peoples鈥� hearts doing what they can, and if they can鈥檛 give financially, their prayers are a huge help to us.

鈥淧eoples鈥� love and willingness to lend a helping hand carries you through stuff like this. The prayers and encouragement and people dropping off meals at our house, it has been overwhelming.鈥�

eric.welsh@theprogress.com
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