durhamregion.com4 The Citizen • September 28, 2017 du rh am re gi on .c om Tim Whittaker - Publisher Mike Johnston - Regional Managing Editor Fred Eismont - Director of Advertising Abe Fakhourie - Distribution Manager Cheryl Haines - Composing Manager CLASSIFIEDS 905-215-0442 ADVERTISING 905-215-0472 865 Farewell St., Oshawa ON L1H 7L5 Member: Ontario Press Council, OCNA, CCNA, LMA. All content copyright. A Metroland Media Group Ltd. Publication thecitizen Cruz is an avid sports fan and plays as often as he can, she added. His favourites are baseball, golf, football and hockey. "He's just a really happy, smart and driv- en little guy ... he has his own golf club, he has his own baseball bat, he has his own football. He has really good hand/eye co- ordination so we play a lot of that on his knees." Cruz relies on a walker to get around and Dillon said he works hard each day to improve his mobility, both at home and with the help of therapists at Grandview Children's Centre in Oshawa. "He gets so frustrated with things because he wants to be doing it -- it's not like he's content just doing a puzzle on the floor. No, he wants to be up and he wants to play baseball, he wants to play golf and he wants to do all that. So for him it's affect- ed him most in that he's had a really hard, frustrating time to be able to achieve the things he wants to do." It's also had a major impact on the fam- ily, she said. They're down to one income as she's unable to work and keep up with Cruz's appointments. "There was no job that I could hold that would allow me to be able to care for him the way that he needs." Earlier this year, she and her husband Ryan learned about a surgery known as selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR), which is performed by Dr. T.S. Park at the St. Louis Children's Hospital in the United States. After applying they were told Cruz was an ideal candidate for the procedure. "What the surgery does is it (can) remove the spasticity in his lower limbs and it gives him the opportunity to build up real muscle, unlike now when he tries to do anything, that spasticity takes over and he's not using the correct muscles so all the muscles under the spasticity are really weak," explained Dillon. They're currently working toward rais- ing the money for Cruz's surgery, which is scheduled for next April. The estimat- ed costs for the procedure, travel, accom- modation and therapy add up to about $150,000. The family recently launched a GoFund- Me page to help with expenses while they wait to find out whether the procedure will be approved by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) as an out-of-coun- try surgery. So far, they've raised more than $27,000 through the campaign and also hosted a golf tournament earlier this month. "We're kind of in limbo; it's looking like we're having an uphill struggle with get- ting OHIP funding ... so we're fundraising $40,000. Total costs are way beyond that so if we do get OHIP funding, then it will be a huge help," said Dillon. The family was told by the doctor that with intensive physiotherapy following the surgery, Cruz should be able to walk without support in all environments. "I think as parents, all you really want for your kids is for them to be independent and have the opportunity to do whatever they want to do," she said. Dillon hopes the surgery will not only improve his ability to perform day-to-day tasks more easily but also enhance his quality of life in the long run. "My hope for him is that he can lead a life that is easier in terms of physical ail- ment but also alleviate some of the emo- tional side with the frustrations and being able to do what makes him happy. At the end of the day, that's what I want. I want him to be able to do what makes him happy." Visit www.gofundme.com/cruzwithme to donate to the cause or follow Cruz's journey at www.cruzwithme.ca or on Facebook. Dillon family hopes to raise $40,000 for out-of-country procedure that will allow Cruz to walk independently Sabrina byrneS / Metroland AJAX -- Cruz Dillon, 2, gave his grandpa Dave Christensen a high-five after putting a ball in the hole at the Big Dreams Fore Little Feet golf tournament on Sunday, Sept. 17. The event was held in his honour at the Deer Creek Golf and Banquet Facility. The golf tournament was held to raise funds for life-changing surgery for Cruz, who was diagnosed with a form of cerebral palsy called spastic diplegia. The surgery is known as selective dorsal rhizotomy and will allow him to walk independently. I think as parents, all you really want for your kids is for them to be independent and have the opportunity to do whatever they want to do. -- Kaylen Dillon " From page 1