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Vol. 2 Edition 51
In memory of Emmett with parents close by at Ronald McDonald House (RMH). Finally, he seemed well Little Emmett Walker died at a mere 17 months enough to go home. “We came home for six of age, but his memory is days, then he went into living on. Parents Paul and Melis- a valve failure,” his mom explained. “He sa Walker, who was taken to hoslive near Merlin, pital in Chatham recently held a and then flown to benefit event in Toronto.” their infant son’s At that time, he memory, raising had another surnearly $13,000 gery on his heart, and enjoying a but medical perheck of a party in sonnel couldn’t the process. take him off a Emmett came into this world in Emmett Walker ventilator, so doctors opened him 2012 facing an uphill fight, as he was born up again and installed a with aortic valve steno- mechanical valve, Melissa sis, a heart defect. It was said. “After that, he got off the something doctors were aware of. In fact, they’d ventilator. He did really started fighting on Em- well,” she said. “We were mett’s behalf while he was home for quite a while.” There were regular trips still in his mother’s womb. “They took a huge nee- to London hospital for dle. They stuck it through Emmett, where he remy stomach, through ceived cardiac care, and him, through his heart where Melissa and Paul to dilate it (the valve) stayed at RMH. But then to see if they could buy Emmett lost his battle last more time for him to stay July. “He just got sick and in me,” Melissa said. “It helped a bit, but I still had couldn’t fight it,” Melissa to deliver him a bit early.” said, explaining he caught All that took place in To- a virus and was just too weak to beat it. ronto. This past spring, Melissa And when Emmett came into this world, he was said she and Paul startstill in tough shape, Melis- ed thinking about doing sa said. He spent the first something in Emmett’s month of his life in hospi- honour. Continued on page 2 tal at Sick Kids in Toronto,
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Christmas in the Village
By Bruce Corcoran bruce@chathamvoice.com
Bruce Corcoran/The Chatham Voice
Avery Stewart, 7, right, reacts after her brother, Chase, 3, told The Chatham Voice what he wants for Christmas: “Presents!” Mom Cheryl can only smile at the interaction as the family fills out letters to Santa at Christmas in the Village, which took place at the Chatham-Kent Children’s Safety Village Dec. 11. Chase later admitted those presents could include such items as cars and space games.
Expect busy ERs over the holidays
By Bruce Corcoran bruce@chathamvoice.com
Chatham-Kent Health Alliance staff advise people to follow the Boy Scouts motto to “Be Prepared” over the Christmas holidays when it comes to their health.
Be prepared with your medications; be prepared to battle the flu; and be prepared for long wait times in local emergency rooms if you go to the hospital. Willi Kirenko, vice-president and chief nursing officer with the CKHA,
said visits to the ER generally spike over the holiday season. Family doctor and health team offices are generally closed during that time, leaving people without access to their primary care providers. Typically, the local ERs
have about 120 patients a day come through the door. In 2010 over the holiday period, that number rose to about 147 a day. A year later, it leaped to 166; then 174 in 2012; followed by a drop to 153 in 2013.
Continued on page 4
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