Fenelon Falls community steps up to help girl facing multiple surgeries
Eight-year-old Maddy Crawford faces close to dozen more procedures to correct painful spinal curvature
Fenelon Falls residents are rallying to support a youngster whose resolve is tougher than the steel rods straightening her spine.
Maddy Crawford faces numerous surgeries over the next several years in order to correct a spinal curvature known as scoliosis.
“She’s tougher than me most days,” said Maddy’s mom, Melissa Crawford.
“She has so many restrictions. She can’t lift anything more than five pounds. She can’t use a trampoline, or go swimming, or sliding. She can’t even go outside at recess in case she slips on ice … If I could bubble her, I would.”
Although it can manifest at any age, scoliosis is most commonly diagnosed in teenagers. Maddy was six. Had the COVID-19 pandemic not occurred, she not only would have been diagnosed sooner but most likely not have needed surgery.
The Crawfords, who also have two older boys who “ferociously adore their baby sister,” became concerned about Maddy’s health when she was around three. They noticed that, as time passed, more and more often, whenever the youngster would get a cold it would turn into pneumonia.
In 2020, detailed imaging revealed Maddy’s spine had curved roughly 10 per cent. Her doctor made a referral to a specialist, but within weeks, the world was shut down due to the pandemic.
“If we had caught it before COVID closed everything down, we may have gotten away with a brace,” said Crawford.
Crawford spent the next two years advocating for Maddy. She even wrote letters to the local MP Laurie Scott and MPP Jamie Schmale, but didn’t see any action until January of 2022.
Two weeks after another round of X-rays, Maddy was booked into the Hospital for Sick Children.
“The alarm bells went off,” said Crawford, who knew the curve in her daughter’s spine was getting worse but had no idea just how much. “It wasn’t noticeable to the average person … but we could see her one shoulder was a little higher than the other.”
Despite the seriousness of her condition — Maddy’s spine had now twisted 72 degrees and was crushing her lungs — the combination of considerable surgical backlog and doctor availability contributed to delays.
In December 2022, Maddy underwent her first surgery.
“It was an extremely frustrating nine months. We were terrified she was going to die,” said Crawford. “Fortunately, they saved her. Unfortunately, she’s in constant pain.”
The youngster spent five days in the hospital but was four inches taller when she came home.
With surgeries slated to take place roughly every six months — the last will be a spinal fusion around age 14 — the youngster went under the knife again in June. Maddy was supposed to have surgery in February. The family expects to get a call any day.
That means being able to drop everything immediately and head to Toronto.
Doing so isn’t the issue, notes Crawford, who was laid off and struggles to find a job flexible enough to enable her to look after Maddy’s needs, such as taking her to and from school. The family’s limited income makes it difficult to cover the costs associated with Maddy’s surgeries.
A GoFundMe campaign was launched to help out and Lotus Indian Bistro owner Nazmun Rozon is holding a fundraising dinner for the family.
“I have known Melissa personally since 2009; a couple of years after I moved to Fenelon. I have been watching her struggle the last few years, so I reached out to see if I could help in some way and to get Maddy’s story out,” explained Rozon.
The restaurant is hosting a spaghetti dinner on March 25 with seatings at 5 and 7 p.m. Take-out orders are also available. Reservations are being taken until Sunday.
The $25 dinner includes choice of bolognese or primavera spaghetti served with Caesar salad, garlic bread and homemade blueberry pie with ice cream.
Rozon added that, if the event is successful, she would like to host other fundraisers in the fall and winter to help “other families who are facing a tough situation.”
The Lotus Indian Bistro is located at 69 Colborne St. in Fenelon Falls. To make reservations or place a takeout order call 705-307-0325 or email lotusindianbistro@gmail.com.