Eight-year-old Melania Le Grier misses the special kisses the most, with her mom laying in a hospital bed.

Dad Terrell is doing his best to shelter his little girl as Cindy, his wife and mom to Melania, begins her slow recovery from a spontaneous aneurysm burst in her brain that occurred Oct. 29.

They talk on the phone, but Melania hasn鈥檛 visited Cindy at Royal Columbian Hospital.

Not yet.

Not until she鈥檚 ready to see her mom.

鈥淪he knows her mom is sick and she knows her mom is in the hospital, but for me, I don鈥檛 want her to have that visual鈥� that visual memory of seeing her mom in that condition,鈥� Terrell said. 鈥淣ot until mom can stay awake and be a little bit more alert, and her speech gets a little bit better.鈥�

Despite being in a coma-like state for three days, Cindy is now waking up again, slowly and surely, it鈥檚 noted on the family鈥檚 ().

鈥淎fter multiple high-risk brain surgeries, she is pulling through,鈥� the page says.

Terrell is doing all he can to maintain some sort of normalcy. But he鈥檚 also realized just how much Cindy did around the house 鈥� paying bills, doing laundry, and so much more.

鈥淥ver the last few months, this (Clayton Heights) family has come through many hard times, trying to make it, and they鈥檝e had setback after setback,鈥� writes family friend Helen Edwards, who set up the .

Life turned upside down that Sunday, when Cindy said she felt a pain on the back of the right side of her head.

鈥淪he said she couldn鈥檛 feel her legs,鈥� Terrell said. 鈥淲e walked in between two parked cars and I set her on the curb, and she was sweating very, very badly. By the time the ambulance got there, she had completely seized up.鈥�

Life without Mom has been trying for Melania but Terrell said, 鈥渓ike her mom, she is a very strong and resilient person.鈥�

鈥淔or her, the hard times are right before school when we鈥檙e leaving the house because she would give her mom a goodbye kiss for the day, that was a moment she always took,鈥� Terrell shared. 鈥淎nd at night, before we put her to bed, they had their little good night routine, giving each other special kisses. Those times are the hardest.鈥�

Terrell said lately he鈥檚 been giving Melania her space in the mornings before she goes to her elementary school in Langley.

鈥淚 knew she was going to have her moments. We鈥檙e late to school pretty much every day, but I鈥檇 rather have her get her emotions out at home with me, and being in a good spot, rather than in school,鈥� Terrell said. 鈥淪chool鈥檚 been very accommodating, as well.鈥�

There have been struggles financially, as well, and Terrell said he doesn鈥檛 like to be viewed as a burden by his family.

鈥淚鈥檝e been blessed with an amazing mother-in-law who does a lot of driving and spending time with her granddaughter,鈥� Terrell said. 鈥淏ut it is tough, trying to manage.鈥�

Cindy has already undergone two major surgeries. Doctors released the pressure on her brain while at the same time making sure they didn鈥檛 rupture the aneurysm.

鈥淚t was just a matter of waiting to see if she was in a coma because of the bleeding or the aneurysm,鈥� Terrell said. 鈥淪he didn鈥檛 come out (of the coma) after they released the pressure so it seemed like the aneurysm is the reason she was in a coma.鈥�

There are signs of recovery. Since emerging from the coma, Cindy is opening her eyes and can see colours and people. She鈥檚 talking and drinking water and juice, and eating soft foods like oatmeal and soup.

鈥淭he main thing now we鈥檙e facing is, she has no movement on the left side of her body,鈥� Terrell said.

The is helping the family remain afloat financially.

鈥淲ith Cindy healing in the hospital from what will be a long journey of recovery, I am hoping that fellow warrior friends in our community can help by donating some dollars 鈥� anything will help 鈥� so that this family can continue to pay their bills, put food on the table, and still be there by her side as she continues to go through surgeries and rehabilitation,鈥� Edwards wrote on the . 鈥淭his money will be spent primarily on household bills, rent/mortgage, food, and previous debt that has collected from previous setbacks that Cindy and Terrell have been trying to get out of. These two are some of the most hardworking people I know, and this recovery will not be easy on them.

If anyone can break through, Cindy will. I am starting this campaign so that the family can concentrate on being by her side, alleviating a bit of that financial strain. They deserve it.鈥�

Terrell said the support from friends, co-workers, family, and strangers has been 鈥渙verwhelming.鈥�

鈥淭o see how many people鈥檚 lives (Cindy) has touched, it鈥檚 amazing,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t really makes me proud as a husband how my wife can affect so many people.鈥�