After nearly drowning outside her home in the Waterstone subdivision on May 14, 3-year-old Emily Borst is still traveling the long road to recovery – and family friends are asking for help to get her there.
“It’s extremely horrible,” said Emily’s aunt Leina Johnson. “It’s so easy for an accident to happen. This one happened to two really great parents who were already very protective.”
According to reports, Emily was found face down in the pond outside the family’s home on Fountain Crescent after wandering outside. Emily’s mother, Regina, had just gotten off the phone and begun looking for the toddler when she found her and began screaming for help.
Luckily, Oxford firefighters Ron Jahlas and Brian Bank were working on a house nearby and heard the screams. The pair rushed to the scene and began administering mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and CPR until they regained Emily’s pulse. She was transported to POH in Pontiac and later transferred to Royal Oak Beaumont Hospital.
Emily is now undergoing intensive treatment at Children’s Hospital in Detroit. She is receiving aggressive occupational and physical therapy that includes hyperbaric treatments and neurological massage.
“She is not talking or walking yet, but she’s made improvements beyond what was initially predicted,” said Johnson, who added that Emily has rolled over and pushed a ball.
However, the hypobaric treatments and neurological massage therapist are not covered by insurance, and her therapy and medication costs are growing. According to Johnson, the cost for the hypobaric treatments alone, based upon other near drowning cases, is over $200,000 if continued to completion.
“They are a single income family and these things are really exceeding their coverage,” said Johnson, who works with Emily’s father Greg at Jabil Circuit.
So to help the Borst family, more than 25 friends have pulled together to host Emily’s Outing on August 15. The five person golf scramble is an effort by her community, friends and family to come together and support a little girl in her time of need.
“I am touched by the outpouring of love and support for this beautiful little girl,” said Renee Lapinski, family friend and scramble chairperson, in a press release. “This assistance will allow Emily access to more treatments that will make her full recovery a greater possibility.”
The scramble, to be held at Liberty Golf Club in Clarkston, is $130 per player and will include: 18 holes of golf with cart, lunch and buffet dinner, team picture, on course refreshments, $15,000 hole-in-one contest and games. All of the proceeds will go to Emily’s medical bills.
Pre-registration is required and the deadline is August 11. Registration the day of the event begins at noon and teeing off will begin at 1 p.m. Teams or individuals can register.
For those who can not participate, but would still like to offer financial support, gifts for Emily can be made to the MSU Federal Credit Union. Also, holes can be sponsored by individuals or businesses for $200.
For registration information, please contact Allyson Hilbers at 248-292-6359 or emilysouting@usol.com. To sponsor a hole, please contact Eric Slade at 248-292-6030.