A GoFundMe has been set up for an Owen Sound family after a young girl fell ill and required two brain surgeries.
Ryver Crandon wasn’t feeling well during the Christmas break, and in late December, woke up in the middle of the night with a severe headache, causing her to cry out in pain.
That led to her mother, Yolanda Logan, to take her to the hospital.
After being sent home, the headaches didn’t go away, prompting another visit.
Ryver was then held overnight, and ended up having an MRI, which found swelling and fluid around the four-year-old’s brain.
She was quickly transferred to Victoria Children’s Hospital in London where she was admitted to the ICU, and intubated ahead of emergency surgery.
Ryver’s grandmother, Tanya Logan, reached out to Bayshore News to talk about the effect this medical emergency is having on her family.
She explained the challenges that her daughter and grandchildren now face, as they hope for Ryver’s condition to improve. Her daughter has had to take time off work to stay with Ryver.
“Her mom won’t be home for another three weeks, and it could be longer, depending on [Ryver’s] progress,” said Logan.
After her admission to hospital in London, she received two operations. The first was to insert a drainage tube to help remove the fluid. The second four-hour surgery, a craniotomy, removed part of the young girl’s skull.
The official diagnosis is cerebellitis, which is a swelling of the cerebellum – the part of the brain which controls balance, language, motor control, and attention.
Logan said that the change in Ryver’s health is stark. With her granddaughter still in intensive care, the family is missing the little girl she normally is.
“She’s absolutely a ham,” Logan shared with a smile in her voice. “She’s a red-haired firecracker.”
Cerebellitis can be caused by an infection from any number of viruses or bacteria, but the direct cause of Ryver’s condition is unknown.
The GoFundMe campaign was set up by Vanessa Ashley, a close friend and co-worker of Yolanda, who has two other daughters at home – eldest Hunter, and Ryver’s twin, Rain.
The family has received support through Yolanda’s work, which is in a daycare at a local church.
“They’ve been just wonderful helping out with meals and that kind of stuff, and that’s just great” said Logan. “[It’s] Just [that] the scary part is we just don’t know… We just don’t know the long-term, and Mom’s going to have to be home with her for awhile, even when they get home.”
The purpose of the fundraiser is to ensure that the family can still cover monthly bills, including rent and utilities, while Yolanda is away from work to be with her young daughter.
You can donate to support Ryver’s Medical Journey by clicking here.
Four-year-old Ryver Crandon, following two emergency brain surgeries, remains in the ICU. (Image via GoFundMe)