Community rallies around Okanagan toddler who lost ability to walk

She was just 17 months old when she lost the ability to walk.

Julia’s parents put her to bed one evening in October, 2015 and the very next morning found the little girl paralyzed from the waist down.

It turned out that the West Kelowna girl had a massive blood clot compressing against her spinal cord that left her with a spinal cord injury.

With little to no hope of recovery offered here in Canada, parents Melissa and Ryan Grassmick turned to a well-known clinic in Baltimore that specializes in pediatric spinal cord injuries.

“That is where the expertise is as far as rehab and recovery for spinal cord injuries especially for pediatrics,” Melissa Grassmick said. “It is a very niche thing that not a lot of people, especially people in Canada know about, so we want to go to the best of the best that will give her the best knowledge and help and chance to recover.”

Now three years old, Julia has visited the Kennedy Krieger Institute twice and hopes to go back for treatment in March, 2018.

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Mom Melissa has given up her job to help Julia with intense, daily therapy including the use of leg braces and a walker to try and regain some movement.

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But the trips to the States as well as the treatment and equipment that Julia needs isn’t covered and very costly.

The young family has already spent more than $100,000 to try and help their daughter, some of those costs offset by fundraising efforts.

But with another trip to Baltimore on the horizon and a specialized walker that Julia is in need of, the family has organized the biggest fundraiser yet.

“She has her whole life ahead of her, we have heard of people and know people who have recovered from a spinal cord injury,” Melissa Grassmick said. “We have to try everything we can. I don’t want to look back in 20 years and say we could have done more.  She deserves a chance to recover and she is only three, she can’t advocate for herself.

The upcoming fundraiser for little Julia is called ‘Golf for Julia’.  It takes place on Sunday, Sept.10 at the Sunset Ranch Golf Course in Kelowna.

The event starts at noon.

Tickets are $125 per golfer (including dinner) and $475 per foursome.

There’s also a dinner option if you don’t want to golf.  Tickets for dinner are $30.

The event includes a silent and live auction.

For tickets, contact Melissa at 250-863-9975 or by email at melissagrassmick1985@gmail.com