Organizers are hoping residents of Bonnyville will turn out in droves Friday evening to help support a remarkable little girl who doctors and family members have called "a medical miracle".
Little Oksanah Watton, who will celebrate her second birthday on Oct. 6, was born with a congenital heart defect and had her first open heart surgery seven days after coming into this world.
In her short 23 months of life, she has endured multiple biopsies and four open heart surgeries, including two heart transplants — only nine months apart.
In early August, little Oksanah's heart unexpectedly stopped after a biopsy and she was placed on life support and for almost half an hour, doctors and medical staff weren't sure if she would pull through.
Doctors agreed her heart would not be able to sustain life. They found another heart and performed a second heart transplant on Sept. 3.
To help Oksanah's parents Grant and Rebecca Watton, who have spent the majority of their time since their only child was born in hospital in Edmonton, family friend Jackie Darroch has organized a live fundraising auction combined with a chili and bun supper for Friday evening at the Fish and Wildlife Building on Railway Avenue in Bonnyville. The event starts at 6 p.m.
"Baby O", as she is affectionately called by loved ones, has made an amazing recovery and is reported in stable condition and remains in intensive care at Stollery Children's Hospital with her parents at her side around the clock, said Darroch.
Incredibly, Oksanah has shown no signs of having any developmental setbacks despite her many medical crises and has met all expected milestones, she said.
"This little baby girl has been through more in two short years than any of us could ever imagine," said Darroch, who has been a friend of Rebecca and her family for numerous years. "The strength and spirit of this little girl is just amazing. She has been called a medical miracle by her team of doctors for everything she's been through and for pulling through as well as she has."
Rebecca was born and raised in Bonnyville, but has called Cold Lake home since she got married
five years ago to her husband Grant, who is a member of the Canadian military.
Darroch is expecting a huge turnout of people from Bonnyville and Cold Lake on Friday evening to support this wonderful cause.
"My father is an auctioneer and I thought holding a live auction would be a great way to raise some money for the family," she said. "I was born and raised here in Bonnyville and I know what a caring community this is and the amount of support I've received in trying to put this all together in a short period of time has been just amazing.
"It's nice to get donations and we've had our fair share already, but I wanted to do something where the entire community could come and help out."
The Bonnyville branch of the TD Bank has been helpful and set up a trust fund. Donations can be made by asking to have money forwarded to the Rebecca Watton or Baby O trust fund, Darroch said.
Rebecca's parents Vikki and Bill Wakulchyk will be attending the live auction and are looking forward to meeting those willing to lend a helping hand.
"I'm hoping for a really good turnout," Darroch said. "Hopefully we can raise some dollars for this family because Rebecca and Grant have both had to miss so much work over the past two years and the bills never stop coming in.
"I'm hoping this event can help them ease the burden just a little for all they've been through."
Victoria "Vikki" Wakulchyk said the amount of community support for Baby Oksanah and her family has been "overwhelming ... it's the only word I can think of."
She can't help but marvel at her granddaughter's strength and resilience at such a tender age.
"She's proven, time and time again, she's not ready to leave this world ... she's truly a fighter and we firmly believe she's going to pull through this because of it," she said proudly.
"Doctors have stood in amazement at all she has been through and the fact she's now stable and hopefully on the road to recovery after enduring so much. Doctors call her their miracle girl. Every day since she was born we consider a gift. We could have lost her so many times now, but she refuses to go and we live believing this was meant to be and she will get past all this."
Because her daughter and son-in-law have spent almost all of the past 23 months in Edmonton to be by their daughter's side, it has taken its toll financially and that's why Friday's event is so much appreciated, she said.
Her family has set up a page on Facebook tagged "Prayers for Baby O — Oksanah Watton" and the endless amount of good wishes and prayers have been remarkable and very much appreciated, she said.
Her family's deep faith in God has also kept them strong and determined, she said.
"It has been a journey of faith and belief and thanksgiving from the day she was born."
During the August 9 incident where Baby Oksanah was placed on life support, doctors feared the worst, but she and her family remain convinced it was just one more hurdle that had to be climbed before she can return to good health and a normal life, she said.
"She remains an absolute miracle and everything about what she has endured continues to amaze the doctors," she said. "We all remain convinced she has survived the worst and the best is yet to come."
Her daughter and "son-in- love", as she calls Grant, have been a tower of strength throughout, said Wakulchyk.
"I'm just so unbelievably proud of them as parents and as people," she said. "They have stayed by her bedside throughout and endured so much. They know all the medical procedures, what every drug and tube that goes inside her body does.
"Their strength and faith remain intact and their ability to stay positive despite watching their daughter go through so much remains an inspiration to everyone who loves them."
Grant is an accomplished guitar player and has been singing songs and hymns to his daughter from the time she was in his wife' s womb and looks forward to having his daughter sing along with him one day in the not too distant future, Wakulchyk said.
Anyone wishing to make donations for Friday's live auction can contact Darroch at 780-812-5473 or by email at [email protected]
