Community rallies to help little Tyra

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Tyra Bitternose is less than six months old, and already she's seen enough of hospitals to last a lifetime.

Instead of diapers and baby clothes, the Bitternose and Stanley families are spending their time and money on the highways and hotel rooms, as little Tyra struggles for her life and doctors treat her defective heart.

The infant is currently at Edmonton's University of Alberta Hospital, recovering from major heart surgery.

"She's a fighter," said her proud grandfather, Delvin "Doc" Bitternose of Fort Qu'Appelle.

But that fight comes at a cost. Bills are piling up for her parents, Melissa Stanley and George Bitternose, as they travel to and from Edmonton while Tyra recovers from surgery. That means days off work-and consequently, lower pay cheques-and more expenses as the family stays in Edmonton, by the child's side.

Fort Qu'Appelle's Aboriginal community rallied to Melissa and George's side last month, as friends organized a fundraising bingo for the family.

"Two of our friends got together and decided to help the family with a benefit bingo," said Cheryl Bitternose, Tyra's grandmother.

The bingo was held Sept. 22 at the White Calf Collegiate gymnasium.

"In that short a time, they saw the different merchants in town and went to the tribal council and faxed the band offices to let people know that we were holding this fundraising bingo."

In total, 56 people showed up, "which wasn't bad, considering how short a notice everybody had," she added. "They got everything organized in four days."

The money raised "will go a long way to help the family's finances in Edmonton," said Delvin. "It's costly to travel out there and to stay out there."

Doctors knew when Melissa was three months pregnant that Tyra would be in for a struggle, when an ultrasound scan done at Balcarres Hospital showed a heart defect.

Her left ventricle didn't develop properly, causing the heart to work harder. Her right pulmonary artery was to be reduced in the first surgery.

"We didn't realize how many complications she did have on the first surgery," said Delvin.

Tyra would have to face three surgeries by the time she was one year old. She underwent the first of those surgeries in Edmonton in early September.

"On a scale of one to 10, with 10 being the toughest, the first surgery was supposed to be only a two," said Delvin.

Instead, complications developed, and doctors had to struggle to save Tyra's life.

"The next surgery after that, they were going to wait until six to nine months later. And that would be a six or a seven."

Ironically, Tyra is now caught in the middle of the health dispute between the provincial government and the Health Sciences Association of Saskatchewan.

The infant is now fit to be transferred to the Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon. However, doctors in Edmonton have decided not to transfer her until the strike has been settled.

"They can't have her in Saskatchewan until those people go back to work," said Cheryl.

"But we're glad for her to be staying there until everything's better."

Delvin also had high praise for Alberta's pediatric care system.

"They've got a wonderful health system there," he said. "I don't want to slam the people here in Saskatchewan, but there are only two heart surgeons who work on children in western Canada, and both are in Alberta."