Sunrise Therapeutic Riding and Learning Centre is seeking support for one of its riders.
Sarah Byars has osteogenesis imperfecta, otherwise known as “brittle bone syndrome,” and spent almost two years in McMaster Children’s Hospital in 2012-13, due to an unrelated infection. She underwent several surgeries, and her condition was critical on more than one occasion.
Byars was eventually able to return to high school for a few hours each day. However, eight weeks ago she broke her elbow, and after enduring yet another surgery, she broke her femur.
Today Byars remains in McMaster Children’s Hospital. This has been a time of hardship and financial struggle for this single-parent family (Byars has two brothers).
When Byars is ready for discharge once more, she will need someone to care for her on a daily basis while her mother is working.
This will be costly, and there is only minimal government support for a young person with special needs of this kind, Sunrise officials point out.
Sunrise executive director Ann Caine says Sarah’s strength and optimism are remarkable given her situation.
“This young lady, if you could see her spirit and her tenacity, her strength and her smile,” says Caine.
“She broke her elbow at school (because) she was opening the door for someone else to let them through, she dropped her backpack and tripped on it and broke her elbow. That’s the kind of girl (she is); she’s very giving.”
Under the umbrella of Sunrise, but dedicated to Sarah Byars, a trust fund has been set up through Scotiabank to help assist this family.
Sunrise hopes to raise $3,500 to help the Byars family and is appealing to the community to help support this young teenager, who has endured so much.
Byars “is a trooper who has a fighting spirit way beyond her years. She has won the hearts of all the medical staff at the hospital, the staff and volunteers at Sunrise and friends and neighbours in the community,” Sunrise officials state.
“Please consider joining Team Sarah as we pull together to ease the burden for Byars and her family.”
Donations can be made at any Scotiabank branch in Guelph or Cambridge in the name of Sunrise Therapeutic Riding and Learning Centre in trust for Sarah Byars.
Representatives from Sunrise, along with Byars’ mother will also be at the Aberfoyle market June 14 to answer questions about Sunrise’s programs and accept donations for Sarah.
