Our 2023 Champions

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Elijah loves playing hockey, football, and basketball. Thanks to the Stollery Children’s Hospital, he can continue to play sports and hang out with family and friends.

Thirteen years ago, Tracie and Sue learned that the child they were to foster (and eventually adopt) was born at only 33 weeks. Experts at the Stollery diagnosed him with Tetralogy of Fallot, meaning a valve in his heart was too narrow.

Elijah had his first open-heart surgery at eight months old. Despite complications, his surgery went well and he was able to go home much sooner than expected. Over the years, he grew into an active boy.

But then, at the age of seven, he needed a second open-heart surgery and five years later, his valve needed replacing. This time however, instead of a third open-heart surgery, he could have a catheter procedure which was less invasive and safer.

While Elijah’s heart will always need monitoring, he is doing great – playing hockey again, doing all the things he loves and living his life to the fullest.

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Kshitij’s parents knew something wasn’t quite right when their six-year-old son started falling while walking. Their fears were confirmed when Kshitij’s doctor diagnosed him with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).

DMD is a rare disorder, causing muscle weakness that progresses throughout the body. Kshitij’s family was devastated to learn that to this day, there is no cure.

At first, no matter how hard they looked, the support their talkative and bubbly son would need just didn’t seem to be available in India. Just when things seemed impossible, Kshitij’s dad Anup heard about experimental treatments around the world. He reached out to clinical trials in Germany, the United States, and Canada – everywhere! Dr. Craig Campbell at Children’s Hospital in London, Ontario responded with such kindness and encouragement that Kshitij’s family made the monumental decision to move halfway around the world!

Ten years ago, at Children’s Hospital, Kshitij’s family found more support than they thought possible. Kshitij began receiving regular IV infusions that could provide life-changing information about DMD, and potentially improve his condition. Now, as Kshitij goes in for weekly bloodwork and monthly infusions, he isn’t simply appreciated as a clinical trial patient, but also for being himself – a chatty, tech-loving teenager.

From Lego as a small child, to successfully building his own desktop computer, Kshitij has grown up with the support of Children’s staff. The Children’s Hospital community has created a safe, fun environment that has become a second home to Kshitij and his family.

Today, as Kshitij prepares to head into adult care, he has his whole Children’s family right by his side to cheer him on!

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Nicko is a smart, generous kid who loves all things outdoors. He loves history and has a profound history of his own.

Nicko was born with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus, and his back was completely open when he was born. At two days old, he underwent his first surgery, a kyphectomy, where three vertebrae were removed. He underwent his second surgery a few days later and had to recover from both surgeries in the neonatal intensive care unit.

After 16 years of surgeries, tests, and check-ups, Nicko and his family have gotten used to being at the hospital.

“Once, when Nicholas was young, we did have to go to the Stollery in Edmonton for a procedure. But we’re very thankful that since the opening of the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital, we have been able to stay in the province,” says Nicko’s mom, Heather.

Nicko doesn’t let anything hold him back and he loves hunting, music, and playing basketball.

As a 16-year-old who has taken on daunting medical challenges, Nicko believes it is important to give back to other kids in the hospital. He has dedicated his time to representing Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation for many events and sharing his heartfelt story. Most recently, Nicko emceed a live, in-person Two Million Dollar major gift announcement and the kick-off of their Harvest for Kids Campaign.

His commitment to helping other kids makes him the epitome of a true champion!

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Fifteen-year-old Keira has come a long way since late 2017, when she suffered from a major burn.

Keira, who was 9 at the time, was holding a hot tray of drinks that spilled on her lap, causing a severe burn to her mid-body region.

Keira’s parents drove her to the nearby Chilliwack General Hospital emergency department. Her burn was treated but her condition worsened and was complicated by the strep throat she had at the time she was injured.

She was transferred to BC Children’s Hospital, where there is a burn unit dedicated to treating children like Keira. Keira was admitted into the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) with a dangerously high fever. She had contracted sepsis, a potentially life-threatening condition, and spent a total of five days in the PICU.

Once stabilized, Keira moved to the burn unit where she spent another 10 days receiving daily burn bath treatments to encourage new skin growth.

After 10 days, Keira was able to go back home to Chilliwack, but she returned to BC Children’s burn clinic for weekly treatments.

Today, Keira returns to the burn clinic every three months and will undergo cosmetic surgery to remove some of the deep scarring. Every time she visits, she stops by the in-patient area to say hi to her nurses. “This has been a traumatic experience for her, but at the same time it has made her very resilient,” notes Keira’s Mom Terresa. “She appreciates everyone at the hospital and feels a sense of connection with her doctors and nurses that have been with her through this whole journey. It a genuine connection between all of them, and we are very thankful.”

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Armin is not your typical 12-year-old. He speaks four languages at home: English, French, Bosnian, and Arabic. He also has a passion for learning and was recently accepted into a specialized robotics program at a new school. Armin and his family have an abundance of gratitude for reaching a truly magical moment: cancer-free thanks to life-saving care at CHEO.

In July 2020, after a fever lasting for several nights and attending a COVID clinic to rule out coronavirus, Armin and his mother, Fajka, went to CHEO’s emergency department. Following a full panel of blood tests and an ultrasound, Fajka was taken to another room and told that her son had cancer.

A biopsy and further investigation brought in the official diagnosis: Burkitt’s lymphoma, a rare and fast-growing form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The ultrasound revealed a tumour in Armin’s abdomen and the CHEO oncology team mobilized. With an inoperable tumour located within his intestine, chemotherapy was the only treatment option. Armin was prescribed a regimen of five cycles of chemotherapy that was later revised to six.

The fourth cycle of his chemotherapy was tough. “I was so sick,” Armin recalls, nodding his head slowly. “I had a fever and remember that I felt really terrible.”

Armin was able to distract himself throughout his treatment by anchoring himself to school. He attended online classes with his peers and his missed classes were supplemented by teachers at CHEO.

On December 18, 2020, Armin rang the bell to signal the end of his treatment. Today, he’s busy focusing on school and sports. Armin’s dream is to travel the world and own a fancy car!

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After more than 30 surgeries, five years of testing, and countless days in the hospital, nine-year-old Pacey’s digestive system still won’t work.

Pacey has intestinal failure, but what’s causing it is unclear. Pacey’s condition started when he was two years old and has progressively gotten worse. He’s had a wide range of surgeries to help his digestion and has now had his colon removed, and a colostomy placed. He can’t eat solid foods, so he relies on total parenteral nutrition (TPN), which is a solution of essential nutrients given through an IV.

Pacey has been in and out of HSC Winnipeg Children’s Hospital as complications came up, with his longest stay lasting six weeks. In 2020, he was in the hospital for both Christmas and his birthday, so he’s really gotten to know the Child Life team.

“Until you have a child in the hospital for as long as Pacey has been, you just can’t truly understand what it’s like,” says Kim, Pacey’s mom.

Child Life specialists are experts at helping kids cope with life in the hospital. They provide music therapy, put on fun programs like the Good Day Show on Children’s Hospital TV, and tend to kids’ emotional and developmental needs.

Pacey has faced many painful and uncomfortable procedures. Kim remembers one particular day that had been very difficult. Child Life specialists came to check on Pacey and help him express what he was going through. They asked him to write all the things he hates about being in the hospital on a target so they could squirt paint at those words to make them go away. But because Pacey loves the people and activities at Children’s Hospital so much, he didn’t have anything bad to write down, he just wanted to put numbers on the target for points.

“That’s the type of kid he is – he doesn’t see anything bad here ever,” says Kim.

Kim says the team has become like family to Pacey and he is so close to some of his surgeons that he plays pranks on them before a procedure. She is thankful the Child Life team has so many ways to help Pacey enjoy just being a kid and she says when he’s feeling good, he’s unstoppable.

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Twins Ben and Matthew LeBlanc were born prematurely at 32 weeks in 2012 and were immediately admitted to the IWK’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Ben did very well and was discharged after five weeks. Unfortunately, Matthew’s experience was much different—he was born with kidneys that were not functioning and at just three days old, he began dialysis to keep him alive.

Matthew spent the next three months in the NICU and three more months on 6-Link, the IWK’s nephrology inpatient unit for kidney care. At six months old, he was finally able to go home for the first time, where he continued to receive dialysis for 12 hours each night. At 19 months old, he received a kidney transplant from his father, Andy.

Matthew was able to go home eight weeks after his transplant, and that’s when his parents really noticed a difference in him—he started pulling himself up, crawling and talking so much more. Tonia and Andy say he was a whole new child!

With Matthew’s health stabilized, the family decided to move back home to Cape Breton. For the next seven years, Matthew continued to be followed closely by the IWK. While there were some ups and downs, he could do all the everyday kid things like swimming, riding a bike and going to school.

Then in 2020 came the news they were dreading—Matthew’s kidney was failing. While Tonia and Andy had known he would eventually need another transplant, they had hoped it wouldn’t have been so soon. This time, Matthew had to go on the transplant list.

As the months went on, Matthew got sicker and sicker. One day, he couldn’t even walk up the stairs, and Tonia and Andy knew he would need dialysis once again very soon. Thankfully, before that happened, they got the call they had been waiting for—a matching kidney had been found!

Matthew received his second successful kidney transplant in May 2021. His recovery went much smoother this time, and he was able go home four weeks after the surgery. Today, he’s feeling the best he ever has, and is back to being a typical 10-year-old boy who loves gaming, swimming and playing with his twin brother, Ben.

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Abigale is a bright, funny, energetic, and sweet eight-year-old who enjoys being constantly busy. She isn’t one for downtime.

At the hospital, she is the same. Abigale loves when the nurses let her take her own temperature and she’s always so keen on learning what they’re doing to her, or what’s about to happen.

Abigale also loves to sing and dance wherever she is. Another one of her favorite things to do is ride, groom, and walk horses. She loves spending time with the two family cats – Casper and Bella.

Abigale’s mom, Staci, notes that Abigale has often asked, “Why did this happen to me, why do I have cancer?”

“Though we try to explain how we’ll never know why she had it, she likes educating people on what she goes through. Abi likes showing off her scars, her port, and even her hair that we kept when she lost it. Abi being diagnosed with cancer has brought us closer together as a family. We have learned how to appreciate the small things and not take anything for granted. Abi’s cancer has brought on some new anxieties for her but has also really matured Abi,” said Staci.

Abigale’s journey with SR B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia was one that lasted 828 days, including 203 hospital appointments, 41 chemotherapy IVs, 11 red blood transfusions, three birthdays, one relapse square, and ultimately one Bell of Hope ring.

Abigale still visits Janeway frequently for checkups and to help combat the side effects of treatment. Despite this, she has been able to return to her friends and family, and her favorite activities.

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Tracy was 29 weeks into her pregnancy when she encountered her first complication. “The doctor discovered a lack of blood flow from the placenta to the baby,” explains Tracy, who was visiting McMaster Children’s Hospital. “The baby was not receiving sufficient nutrients, which was a dangerous situation.”

Tracy underwent an emergency C-section, and her son Cash was born 11 weeks early, weighing 1,290 grams (just under three pounds). “Cash’s lungs were extremely weak,” recalls Tracy. “He relied heavily on CPAPs to help him breathe until his lungs strengthened.”

The team in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) helped Cash through numerous health complications. He had a low hemoglobin count, which can lead to breathing and heart issues, so he underwent three blood transfusions and a platelet transfusion. Cash also required surgery to repair a hernia.

The family’s journey continued once Cash was able to go home. He experienced some developmental delays, especially with his gross motor skills, and the family visited McMaster Children’s Hospital regularly for testing until he was four.
Cash continued to grow and gain strength over the next few years. He soon began to catch up with his physical development and started to meet his milestones.

Today he’s active and loves to play the drums and practice karate.

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Nyah’s name means “tenacious,” and that’s a spirit she has certainly demonstrated in her six-year journey with cancer.

A healthy and active, soccer-playing 10-year-old, Nyah’s life changed drastically when she was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in September 2017.

Suddenly, her world revolved around hospital appointments and treatments. Because treatment compromised her immune system, she couldn’t attend school with her friends or enjoy her favourite activities.

To make treatments more manageable, Nyah took part in a first-in-Canada program called Hospital at Home. Through this donor-funded program, a nurse administered Nyah’s chemotherapy at home, saving her from many nights in the hospital.

After a few relapses and multiple rounds of chemotherapy, Nyah’s cancer was finally in remission by the end of 2020. In May 2021, Nyah underwent a bone marrow transplant (BMT) to completely kill off all remaining cancer cells in her body. Nyah remains in remission but lives with the side effects of her transplant including chronic graft vs. host disease and is closely monitored by her team of specialists.

Today, Nyah is an avid golfer and gamer and hopes to be an oncologist herself one day.

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Éloïse’s parents were told at the 20-week ultrasound that a heart defect had been detected. Six days after her birth, Eloïse had her first open heart surgery. She had three more open heart procedures over the next four years to correct heart defects. Every time, her parents feared she would not survive. Thankfully, they were reassured knowing that Eloïse was undergoing surgery in the newly inaugurated cardiac surgery room at the Centre mère-enfant Soleil du CHU de Québec, financed by Opération Enfant Soleil. They also knew how hard Eloïse was willing to fight. She always demonstrated great strength and resilience.

When Éloise started school, she didn’t shy away from explaining her heart condition and her scars. Even today, she patiently explains her illness and the surgeries she has had.

In 2020, she needed another surgery to adjust the pacemaker she has been wearing since she was 8 months old and on which her life depends. As she grows, a heart transplant could be considered in the years to come.

Now, at 16, Eloïse is conscious, more than ever, of the risks associated with her heart condition. She is determined to be an ambassador and make people aware of how precious and essential donations are for kids like her.

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Harper is a determined young girl who loves to sing, dance and ride her bike. She has watched all the classic Disney movies and loves princesses.

When Harper’s mom, Hsin, was pregnant, an ultrasound at McMaster Children’s Hospital confirmed that her daughter had a heart defect. Two months after she was born, Harper experienced SVT, an unusually fast heartbeat that affects the heart’s upper chambers. She was at 260 heartbeats per minute. After being rushed to McMaster via ambulance, they resuscitated her and put her on medication for complications.

She had her first surgery in June 2021 at SickKids and it was successful, but 3 days later she went into cardiac arrest. After CPR and being put on an ECMO machine, she had another surgery and stayed in the Critical Care Unit for 6 weeks to recover. Harper had to relearn how to walk and talk again through rehabilitation. After many setbacks and after a severe decline in her health, she was put on the heart transplant list. In December 2021, Harper was admitted to SickKids for long-term care where she and her family waited for a miracle.

In July 2022, Harper’s dreams came true and she finally received her new heart! After she was discharged, she got to see Toronto for the first time and her family took her on a shopping spree where she picked out dresses and toys. She was able to start school in September 2022 and although she is a year younger than her peers, she has so much tenacity for life.

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