A Victoria girl has been given a lifeline after sharing her story of a significant wait for her scoliosis surgery. Rebecca Burrows is the mother of 16-year-old Dillyn Burrows, who has been suffering from the painful disease since the age of 13. She says she couldn’t be more relieved after receiving a phone call Wednesday that will potentially change her daughter’s life. “It was the B.C. Shriners,” said Burrows. The Gizeh Shriners of British Columbia and Yukon saw the family’s story on CTV News about how Dillyn has been waiting more than two and half years for a crucial spinal cord operation to correct the effects of her scoliosis. The disease has twisted her spine into a S-shape. Two weeks ago, Rebecca was told by B.C. Children’s Hospital that her daughter’s scheduled October operation would be pushed into the new year. Wally Lee of the Shriners says he was shocked when he saw the story. “I said, ‘They can’t do that, the poor girl will get crippled,” said Lee. The timing of Dillyn’s surgery is critical. “We were told from the onset of her diagnosis from B.C. Children’s that having this surgery before her growth plates close is mandatory,” said Burrows. The family now needs to get Dillyn’s medical records to the Shriners Hospital in Portland, Ore., for assessment. Once that has been confirmed, the Shriners are looking to send Dillyn and her family to its hospital in Montreal to receive the surgery. Lee says that surgery would take place before the end of this year, if not sooner. “The hospital provides the service for the child, there is no medical cost to the child nor the family,” said Lee. “The family’s travel costs will also be covered.” For the Burrows, sharing Dillyn’s story was a difficult decision. “It’s not something I wanted to share,” she said. She says it was done out of frustration and with a duty to advocate for her daughter’s well-being. “It actually brought us an angel,” said Burrows, referring the help offered by the Shriners. “It’s about helping each other, and the children are our future,” said Lee. “That is what we do.” Burrows says her daughter is one of the lucky ones, skipping the queue in a medical system that she says is in crisis mode. Since Dillyn’s story aired, her mother says she has been contacted by numerous parents as well as children experiencing the same situation as Dillyn. “Just hearing from them has broken my heart,” said Burrows. “I just can’t get over it.” According to the provincial government’s surgical wait times database, there were 193 youth waiting for spinal or back surgery at B.C. Children’s Hospital as of May 31. Dillyn was one of those on the list but now she has been thrown a lifeline by the Gizeh Shriners. It’s an opportunity that Burrows says the family couldn’t be more grateful for.
