Barron Miles never shied away from any fight on the football field. The Canadian Football League Hall of Fame inductee and key member of the BC Lions’ 2006 Grey Cup championship squad was known as one of the best defensive backs of his era. Now he and his family need your help for another big fight, one they never envisioned having at this stage of their lives.
Barron and his wife Jennifer are currently seeking help for their 23-year-old daughter, Ava, currently suffering from Gastroparesis and Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome (MALS).
Born in Montreal while her Dad was turning heads as a member of the Alouettes, Ava was diagnosed with the disease at age 16 after she experienced sudden bouts of vomiting and a weight loss of 30 pounds after only one month. Multiple treatments, medications and surgeries didn’t result in any improvements. According to Jennifer, Ava also spent seven months in the hospital as medical experts tried to remedy the scary situation. That occurred after doctors installed a gastric pacemaker into her stomach that temporarily helped.
Six years later, Ava’s situation has become even more severe. With the continued necessary treatment required to fight the disease at the Cleveland Clinic, the Miles’ insurance claims have been denied as it is required to take place out of state from their home in Chandler, Arizona. Jennifer and Ava live in the family’s offseason home while Barron serves as a coach with the Calgary Stampeders.
With the family seeking around $402,000 U.S. to cover treatments, surgery and post-operative hospitilization, Wally Buono and his wife Sande have set up a GoFundMe campaign to help support Ava and the Miles family in their fight to get her cured. Those in Canada and the United States can donate any amount.