Kyleigh Buckton who is currently in The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto with her family by her side awaiting heart surgery. Photo submitted
Hub Staff
The family of five-month old fighter Kyleigh Buckton feels the support the community has sent their way and is “blown away” as they wait in SickKids Hospital in Toronto for Kyleigh’s heart surgery. The procedure will repair three holes in Kyleigh’s heart with which she was born.
Kyleigh’s grandmother Sue Buckton said in a October 24 telephone interview that Kyleigh is doing quite well today and that she has come along way. The family has not yet spoken to a surgeon and the date for Kyleigh’s operation is still unknown.
Buckton said that although Kyleigh was born in May with three holes in her heart, she was a normal, happy baby. “She was doing great then all of us sudden all hell broke loose,“ said Buckton. “She wasn't able to keep any food down and she got really listless and we took her to Southampton [Hospital] and they were smart enough to send her by ambulance to London. She was in London for four days and she got extremely bad in London and then she was taken by ambulance to SickKids.” Located in Toronto, The Hospital for Sick Children, SickKids, is considered Canada's most research-intensive hospital and the largest centre dedicated to children.
Kyleigh’s family has been staying in the Ronald McDonald House, just three blocks from the hospital. Sue said that many family members have dropped essential items off for them but everyone’s thoughts and prayers are a blessing. “We’ve just been getting constant texts and messages and it’s just been unbelievable,” said Buckton, who is thankful for the support in such a terrifying time for her family.
“You see the same people in the same clothes because they won’t leave. You see them sleeping on... benches because they're not leaving their kid. We're very fortunate that we have the Ronald McDonald House and there’s a lot of kids here that are a lot sicker than Kyleigh.”
Buckton said, “everybody’s terrified here, there’s no other word for it,” adding that SickKids is the scariest place she’s ever been. “You just look around here and everybody is in the same boat, you know? And you see the same families for a couple of days, and then you don’t see them and you don’t know what happened.”
After spending almost a week in Toronto, the family has seen support from the Saugeen Shores community. At the time of publishing, over $16,000 had been donated to a Kisses for Kyleigh GoFundMe page. The money is there to help the family, as Kayleigh’s mother Kristy is still on maternity leave and her father Brent, who runs his own small business, is taking time away from work to be by Kyleigh’s side.
A community social night is set for November 18, admission by donation, at Lakeshore Recreation to raise additional funds for the family. Until then, the Bucktons cannot give enough thanks to the community. “Thank you doesn't seem like quite enough, but it’s all we got right now,” said Sue Buckton.
“Send their love, keep it coming. I’m telling you that she's getting better and better every day, because everybody's sending their good wishes to us every day.”
The proud grandmother of the five-month old also wanted to stress that if anyone wants to visit Kyleigh in person better have had their flu shot. “Everybody’s gotta get a flu shot because nobody is coming near my kid without getting one,” Buckton quipped in all seriousness.
