A GoFundMe campaign has been set up for Adam and Wendy Buyar of Lacombe, who are dealing with the loss of their 22-year-old son, Dalton.
The campaign was set up by Marcy Harrison Bloss, Wendy’s best friend, to support the family, who had to take time off work to take care of their son.
Dalton suffered from severe aplastic anemia, which is a condition where bone marrow does not make enough blood cells for the body.
Dalton, who was diagnosed at 13 years of age, received a transplant when he was living in Medicine Hat. His mom spent 13 months at the Ronald McDonald House at the time.
The family then moved to Lacombe. His first transplant failed on the three-year mark of his operation. Dalton received another transplant, which subsequently failed due to an E. coli infection.
Dalton battled the failing transplant throughout the past year, until fall, when he decided he wasn’t willing to undergo another transplant. His health began to fail and he died on Christmas Eve morning.
“They all moved into the same room so they could be with him. He was never, ever alone the last few weeks,” Harrison Bloss said.
“When he passed, he passed in his mom’s arms.”
Harrison Bloss started the GoFundMe campaign to allow the Buyars to grieve without worrying about finances.
“Nobody knows what it is like to lose a child until it has happened to you,” she said. “Wendy needs time to process this. You don’t know if you can go back to work and whether you can stay at work.
“They lost their wages and Adam has been home since before Christmas, so that he could be with his family as well. Money will not ease their pain, but it may help a little day to day, so they are not struggling.”
Harrison Bloss said the past few months have been horrific for the Buyars, but the family was able to be together.
“They got to spend some good quality time together as a family, and Dalton had the time to tell his family what his wishes were. They are going to go ahead with as many of them as possible,” she said.
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