Nate Starycki and his family are happy to be home in Saskatchewan, as they adjust after months in Toronto. (Submitted photos/Jennifer Starycki)

By Josh Ryan

Summer adjustments

Starycki family adjusting to life back at home

Jul 6, 2021 | 8:00 AM

It has been an ongoing journey for 13-year-old Nate Starycki and his family as they navigate his adjustment following transplant surgery, especially has they prepare for another new normal this summer.

Hailing from Maymont, the Staryckis’ have been enjoying the warm weather after Nate was limited to a Toronto apartment and hospital for almost seven months. He said it’s been good to be back and enjoy time out at the family cabin after completing seeding with his dad, Dane. Much of the rest of the summer will be spent at Jackfish Lake.

“The best part is the sea-doos and the boat,” Nate said.

His mom, Jennifer, said it’s been another big adjustment since getting home on May 21. They were able to make it back just in time for the end of seeding and were finally able to see relatives in person again after more than a year apart, enjoying time out together at the family cabin by Jackfish Lake.

“We weren’t able to access any of [those group visits] with the COVID rules, so that was really hard to accept,” she said. “Definitely mixed emotions, but happy and excited to be home,” she said.

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In returning to home life, Jennifer said they’ve had help from family members in taking care of the house. However, she was a bit nervous having to play the mum role again.

“You kind of forget the day-to-day ‘oh yeah, I got to feed all the kids’,” she said. “The roles I didn’t have to do were added back, along with caring for Nate.”

Part of that adjustment means figuring out a new diet and maintaining medications and IV’s, the latter of which currently limit Nate’s ability to spend time in the water.

“Not like I haven’t done the process, it’s just everything’s more time sensitive and the diet is different than what he’s used to be on,” Jennifer said. “It’s been a struggle a little bit, but it’s OK. We’re getting there, finding our routine and Nate’s figuring out and adjusting to his body.”

This summer, Jennifer said her son is gradually started to reconnect with friends. While they did what they could to keep in touch with people, online tools have their limits.

“It’s slowly happening again and it’s very sweet to watch,” Jennifer said. “You can see the brightness in his eyes sparkle when he sees his friends again.”

And while they’ve needed to remind each other that it’s a marathon and not a sprint, she said her husband Dane has helped keep things in perspective. Their timeline with Nate’s recovery was actually ahead of schedule, as they could have still been out east at this point.

“The fact that we’re able to do all these little minor adjustments from home is a blessing in itself,” Jennifer said.

The family has already been scheduling Nate’s next visit to Toronto for later this fall. And as they continue to enjoy the summer sun, they’re grateful for the support they’ve received from family, friends and beyond. Jennifer said when Nate got back, he was caught off guard by how many people knew who he was.

“He appreciated it and we obviously do as well,” she said. “It’s a happy welcome home for sure.”

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josh.ryan@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @JoshRyanSports