STORIES FROM THE STOLLERY CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
FALL 2019
GRAND OPENING
The new Stollery NICU at the Sturgeon Community Hospital brings essential care to the community
Foundationfunded fellowships to celebrate
STOLLERY
SUPERSTAR Young philanthropists like Maya Murji are making a big difference for Stollery kids
Support the Stollery with a do-it-yourself foodie fundraiser. Your guests will leave with full bellies – and full hearts! While we can’t help out in the kitchen, we’ll give you a hosting kit with all the special ingredients you’ll need to make your Extra Helpings event a sweet success. We provide the hosting kit.
You serve up a delicious event.
• • • • • •
• • • • • •
Print and digital invitations Place cards Stollery balloons Online fundraising page Stollery stats and stories Donation tracking forms
Dinner parties BBQs House parties Catered events Special occasions And more
stollerykids.com/extrahelpings 2
HEROES MAGAZINE | FALL 2019
Contents
FALL 2019
STORIES FROM THE STOLLERY CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
FALL 2019
GRAND OPENING
The new Stollery NICU at the Sturgeon Community Hospital brings essential care to the community
Foundationfunded fellowships to celebrate
STOLLERY
SUPERSTAR Young philanthropists like Maya Murji are making a big difference for Stollery kids
ON THE COVER Stollery Superstar Maya Murji, photo by Sheena Riener
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11 6 STOLLERY SUPERSTARS The Stollery Superstars Party celebrates the outstanding youth who have raised money for the Stollery Children’s Hospital each year.
STURGEON NICU PHOTO BY COOPER & O’HARA
8 FOUNDATIONS Annual fundraisers like the Sylvan Lake Show ‘n’ Shine and Stand Up For Love bring vital support to the Stollery.
9 PAYING IT FORWARD This year, the Stollery Women’s Network marked a huge fundraising milestone.
10 SAVE THE DATE Keep an eye out for these upcoming fundraising events.
11 20 YEARS OF TEDDY FOR A TOONIE
14 THE STOLLERY COMES TO STURGEON
20 A GENEROUS CORPORATE CULTURE
ATB Financial’s beloved annual campaign has been supporting children’s hospitals for two decades. This year, it will donate funds raised to advance kids’ mental health care across Alberta.
The new Stollery NICU has officially opened its doors at the Sturgeon Community Hospital, much to the delight of pediatric care givers and families across St. Albert and the Sturgeon County area.
By fundraising through the Children’s Miracle Network, employees of SMS Equipment have long been dedicated to helping kids with medical needs.
12 THE STOLLERY FAMILY DAY CLASSIC
17 FOUNDATIONS FOR SUCCESS
Steve Serdachny, the man behind the Stollery Family Day Classic, sees his annual hockey invitational as a perfect way for kids to get outside, have some fun playing the game they love, and give back to the Stollery — and its mental health initiatives.
Every year, the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation gives more than $1 million for pediatric fellowships to help train the brightest medical minds and attract them to the Stollery.
22 GIVING BACK With Racing for a Cure, former Stollery patient Mike Christiansen has created one of North America’s largest annual fundraising events for kids.
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FALL 2019 • VOL 7 • NO. 2
STOLLERY CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
It Takes Trust to Transform Children’s Health
EDITOR
Return undeliverable addresses to:
Josie Hammond-Thrasher
Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation 800 College Plaza, 8215-112 St. NW,
PRESIDENT & CEO
Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2C8
Mike House MBA, ICD.D
We’re proud to share with you our accreditation with the Imagine Canada Standards Program Trustmark. This designation shows our commitment to the highest standards of accountability, transparency and governance.
Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation
REDPOINT MEDIA & MARKETING SOLUTIONS
BOARD OF TRUSTEES CHAIR
Editorial Director Jill Foran
Lindsay Dodd, B.Comm., MBA, ICD.D
Graphic Designer Rebecca Middlebrook
Doddcor Ltd.
Contributors Elizabeth Chorney-Booth, Cooper & O’Hara, Jennifer Dorozio,
VICE-CHAIR
Andrea Fulton, Geoff Geddes,
Noah Jones, BA, CFP, CLU
Samantha Gryba, Laughing Dog
Vanta Group
Photography, Sheena Riener, Martin Schuldhaus, Julia Williams
170,000 charities and non-profits in Canada
PAST-CHAIR
200+
accredited
27
in Alberta
5 areas of excellence: Board governance Financial accountability & transparency Fundraising Staff management Volunteer involvement
Richard Kirby, LLB, MBA, ICD.D
Published for
Midnight Sun Financial
Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation 800 College Plaza, 8215-112 St. NW,
Laurie Anderson, CPA, CMA, One Properties
Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2C8
Bonnie Andriachuk, LLB, ICD.D, City of Edmonton
stollerykids.com
Todd Bish, Solutions Business Interiors Jennifer Bisson, Mountain Integrated Medical Devices
Published by
Kelly Blackett, Canadian Western Bank
Redpoint Media & Marketing Solutions
Delphine Brooker
100, 1900 11 St. S.E.
Jeff Bryson, The Stollery Charitable Foundation
Calgary, Alberta T2G 3G2
Jonathan Chia, CA, ICD.D
Phone: 403-240-9055
Jacquelyn Colville, CA, CPA, ICD.D, Midnight Sun Financial
Toll free: 1-877-963-9333
Dr. Alf Conradi, MD, FRCPC, Stollery Children’s Hospital
Fax: 403-240-9059
Kevin George, CPA, CA, MPA.cc, MNP LLP
info@redpointmedia.ca
Kevin McKee, Pangman Development Corporation
The Standards Program Trustmark is a mark of Imagine Canada used under licence by the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation.
Tara Opyr, CPA, CA, Ernst & Young LLP
President & CEO Pete Graves
Stephen Petasky, The Luxus Group
Production Manager Mike Matovich
Aleem Popatia, B.Comm, JD, Ogilvie LLP
Audience Development Manager
Ian Reynolds, QC, ICD.D, Bennett Jones LLP
Rob Kelly
Christine Westerlund, Stollery Children’s Hospital Cory D. Wosnack, Avison Young
Copyright 2019 by RedPoint Media &
Dr. David Zygun, MD, M.Sc., FRCPC, Alberta Health Services
Marketing Solutions. No part of this publication may be repro-
THIS ISSUE OF HEROES IS SPONSORED BY
EX OFFICIOS:
duced without the express written consent
Dr. Sarah Forgie, University of Alberta and Stollery Children’s Hospital
of the publisher.
Dr. Dennis Kunimoto, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta
Publications Agreement #40012957
Dr. Carina Majaesic, University of Alberta and Stollery Children’s Hospital Dr. Lonnie Zwaigenbaum, University of Alberta and Stollery Children’s Hospital About the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation The Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation advances children’s health care right in your own backyard by funding specialized care at the Stollery Children’s Hospital: state-of-the-art equipment and facilities; sub-specialty training; leading-edge research; and specialized pediatric programs that improve family-centred care, child and youth addiction and mental health services, and patient and family outcomes. Together, we can give kids the best chance to live a long and healthy life.
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HEROES MAGAZINE | FALL 2019
All fundraising totals are listed as gross unless otherwise specified. For information on fundraising targets and expenses, please call the Foundation at 780.433.5437.
welcome from the president & ceo MIKE HOUSE WITH STOLLERY SUPERSTAR FUNDRAISER MAYA MURJI.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT Packs A Powerful Punch
I
recently played video games for 25 hours straight as part of our annual Extra Life gaming competition. As I frantically hammered the controller of my Xbox One, making Batman throw punches to keep Gotham City safe, I looked around at hundreds of other people gaming in support of Stollery kids and realized something: the combined strength of community
support packs a powerful punch when it comes to fundraising. I am continually inspired by the innovation of our community fundraisers. Whether our Stollery Superstar kids raise money through their birthdays and lemonade sales, or car enthusiasts take Stollery kids on a thrilling ride in their high-performance vehicles, it makes a massive impact on
expert care at the Stollery. And when someone has an innovative fundraising idea and combines their passions with giving, it often inspires others to do the same. Giving just feels good. When people have a common goal, they truly can move mountains, and in some cases, even climb them. Eleven passionate Stollery supporters and I recently experienced an eight-day vertical adventure up Mount Kilimanjaro — raising more than $1 million through The Summit for Stollery. This life-changing trip happened because one person had an idea and inspired close to a dozen others to train, fundraise and travel in order to summit the highest peak in Africa. They says it’s the journey, not the destination. In this case, for me, it was definitely both. In other cases, the journey changes. The reason you’re reading this in a digital format is because our fall issue of HEROES was supposed to be a special print edition showcasing how we are transforming kids’ mental health in Alberta. However, we’ve had to put our $26-million fundraising campaign on hold after the building project was deferred in the provincial budget. I know that once we work with government to determine new ways to fund care delivery and improve access for kids living with mental illness, the power of community will be front and centre to rally, inspire and motivate others to take action, and give from the heart.
MIKE HOUSE, MBA, ICD.D President & CEO, Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation
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Let’s Celebrate This year’s Stollery Superstars Party celebrated the Hospital’s youngest fundraisers — and marked a major milestone
T
hey may be small, but they sure can make an impact! On October 5, 2019, more than 100 Superstar kids (and their families) gathered together at the TELUS World of Science in Edmonton for the Stollery Superstars Party, an annual event that celebrates the outstanding children and youth
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HEROES MAGAZINE | FALL 2019
(ages four to 17) who have raised money for the Stollery Children’s Hospital over the last year. “Stollery Superstar kids are exceptional because they are young, passionate philanthropists that just want to make an impact. They don’t wait to be asked to start a fundraiser and don’t look for recognition,” says
Tannis Tulis, the youth philanthropy co-ordinator at the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation. The Foundation launched the Stollery Superstars program in 2015 to provide support to kids who want to fundraise for the Hospital. This support is given in a variety of ways, from supplying materials for kids’
PHOTOS BY ROB HISLOP PHOTOGRAPHY
BY SAMANTHA GRYBA
stollery superstars Meet two of this year's Stollery Superstars
fundraising events and giving ideas for fundraising initiatives, to informing the young philanthropists about where their donations are being used and helping them to feel inspired to continue helping out in the future. The Stollery Superstars Party, now in its fourth year, is a way to commend the young Superstars’ efforts, and to say thank-you by providing them with a fun-filled day that they get to share with their family. “We have this annual party because it’s something for them to look forward to, where they can feel celebrated themselves and get to do something fun and exciting with their families because of what they have done for others in the community,” says Tulis. This year alone, more than 500 different Stollery Superstar fundraising efforts throughout the province helped contribute to a grand total of $356,364.44. It was definitely a feat worth noting, but there was an even larger figure that was also celebrated at this year’s party: $1 million raised since the program’s inception in 2015! The million-dollar figure, says Tulis, is a direct reflection of the commitment the kids bring to their fundraising efforts. “These kids are so selfless,” she says. “They work really hard.”
STOLLERY
STOLLERY
BRADY MILLER Age 8
Superstar of the Year
MAYA MURJI Age 7
AGES 4–7
STOLLERY DONATION $673 in 2019
STOLLERY DONATION $3,479 in 2019
FUNDRAISING STORY Brady became a Stollery Superstar in 2015, raising money by collecting donations at his birthday party each year. Over the last five years, Brady has raised $2,618 to help Stollery kids.
FUNDRAISING STORY Maya started her fundraiser, Maya Helping Kids & Cancer One Haircut at a Time, in 2017 and raised $4,695. With her second haircut fundraiser in 2019, she raised $3,479 to bring her total to $8,174 for specialized programs, equipment, research and training that benefits Stollery kids and their families.
STOLLERY STORY Brady raises money in honour of his brother, Cameron Miller. Born premature and weighing just over two pounds, Cameron spent 254 days in the Stollery neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at the Royal Alexandra Hospital site and the Stollery NICU at the University Hospital. Today, Cameron is thriving and gets ongoing care at the Stollery for cerebral palsy. He loves swimming, macaroni and spending time with his big brother, Brady — all thanks to the experts at the Stollery who never gave up on him.
You can be a Stollery Superstar, too. Visit stollerykids.com/ superstars to learn more.
Superstar Top Fundraiser
STOLLERY STORY Maya started her first fundraiser after two friends were diagnosed with leukemia and lost their hair during treatment. She donated her long hair to help make wigs for kids living with cancer, while also raising money to help kids in treatment at the Stollery. Maya then went on to launch a second fundraiser two years later, once again inspiring her friends and family to support Stollery kids and their families.
Stollery Superstars BY THE NUMBERS
494
Stollery Superstars fundraisers in 2018-19
$356,364
raised in 2018-19
2016
Year of the first-ever Stollery Superstars Party
$1 million
Total raised through the program since 2015
400
Guests at this year’s party, made up of 151 Superstars and their families
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foundations
Committed TO CARING A closer look at two inspiring fundraising initiatives BY ANDREA FULTON
Sylvan Lake Show ‘n’ Shine FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS, the Accelerated Revolution Foundation in Sylvan Lake has hosted its annual Sylvan Lake Show ‘n’ Shine fundraiser in support of the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation. This year’s event, which took place on July 20 at the Meadowlands Golf Course, featured 208 cars, both classic and new, as well as face painting for the kids, a great DJ, food vendors and 16 trophy presentations. With such a fun lineup on offer, it’s no surprise that more than 1,000 spectators came out to enjoy the show. Crystal Rhayn-Kock, president of Accelerated Revolution Foundation, was pleased with the turnout, as it was a positive sign that central
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Alberta’s car-enthusiast community has a deep and continued commitment to helping young patients at the Stollery. Like many members of Accelerated Revolution, Rhayn-Kock has a personal connection to the Hospital. “Thirty years ago my brother was diagnosed with a very rare [condition] called Hirschsprung Disease, and back then, they didn’t know … how to treat it,” says Rhayn-Kock. “The doctors at the Stollery had heard of a case in Toronto and saved my brother’s life.” In the last five years, the Sylvan Lake Show ‘n’ Shine has raised more than $30,000 for the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation. This year’s event raised more than $5,000, with donations collected through entry fees for the showcased vehicles, as well as a 50/50 draw.
Stand Up For Love FOR TWIN SISTERS Arianne Chu and Lindsay Pantoja, actions speak louder than words. That’s why the duo has put so much devotion and effort into Stand Up For Love — a lively benefit concert that marked its 10th anniversary this past September. “We named it Stand Up For Love because we truly believe that love is shown through action,” explains Chu, who, like her twin, works as a nurse at the Stollery Children’s Hospital. Both sisters were inspired to pursue careers in nursing after their father received a double kidney and liver transplant 16 years ago. Chu and Pantoja are also accomplished dancers and have close connections throughout the city’s dance and music communities — a fact that has helped make Stand Up For Love such a success. Over the last 10 years, the benefit concert, which features a variety of local dancers and musicians, has raised more than $115,000 for the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation. In its first two years, the concert supported initiatives unrelated to the Hospital, but in year three, the sisters chose to focus their cause on the Foundation’s Neurosurgery Kids Fund in support “of the amazing kids and families that are affected by brain and spinal injury and surgery,” says Chu. This year’s milestone concert took place September 15 at Festival Place in Sherwood Park, with funds raised through ticket sales, a silent auction, 50/50 raffle, as well as through donations and sponsorship.
paying it forward
Reaching a Major Milestone In just five years, the Stollery Women’s Network has grown from a tiny grassroots organization to a community of more than 800 dedicated supporters BY KARIN OLAFSON CARRIE DOLL says she will always remember the Stollery Women’s Network (SWN) meeting she led in May 2019. That was the meeting where Doll, the SWN’s inaugural chair, made a surprise announcement that she calls one of the greatest honours of her career. After talking about the SWN’s future, she led the group into an adjoining room decorated with gold balloons that spelled out “1 million.” As the group realized they’d reached a major fundraising milestone, there was disbelief, then hugging and cheering. “I get goosebumps when I think back to that moment. As a network, we dreamed we would one day achieve the $1 million mark, but to actually reach this milestone is extraordinary,” says Doll. “I think getting here demonstrates what the Stollery means to our community, our city and our province.” Reaching the $1 million fundraising milestone is all the more impressive considering that the Stollery Women’s Network was only founded in 2014. Just five years ago, this was a grassroots group with around 10 women. And in those early days, these women weren’t even sure what they wanted this group to be, exactly. What they did know was that they wanted to volunteer their time and recruit more like-minded women from Edmonton and its surrounding communities to support the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation. After months of brainstorming, planning and community feedback, the SWN grew to become an invaluable volunteer fundraising organization,
complementing the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation. Since 2014, the group has raised that $1 million through generous individual and corporate donations, third-party fundraising events and the SWN’s own events like the annual Style for Stollery fashion fundraiser. Today, the SWN has over 800 supporters, and is based in Edmonton with a rural chapter in Camrose. Shelley Borowski, program director of volunteer engagement and Stollery Women’s Network with the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation, says the addition of the Camrose chapter in 2018 highlights far-reaching support for the Stollery. “Thirty-nine per cent of all inpatients travel to the Stollery from communities outside of Edmonton,” says Borowski. “I think the Camrose chapter speaks to the enormous impact the Stollery has in communities outside of Edmonton.”
According to Michelle Devlin, a Stollery Women’s Network member since 2015 and its chair as of September 2019, the SWN’s fundraising goals are ever-changing to align with the needs of the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation. After initially fundraising for a Stollery operating room, the SWN’s focus shifted in December 2017 to the Giving Comfort Campaign. The Stollery had identified a need for comforting items, like toiletries, blankets and colouring books, to be given to kids and family members visiting the Hospital emergency room, and the SWN got to work raising the money to make this happen. In fact, the Giving Comfort Campaign was such a success that it expanded into other units in the Hospital. Devlin says that, moving forward, the SWN will fundraise for priorities set by the Stollery Children’s Hospital to support children’s physical and mental health. She also believes that, considering the SWN has already raised $1 million in such a short amount of time, anything is possible. “I think our success comes from the people who attend our events and volunteer with passion, enthusiasm and energy, knowing that they are making a difference,” Devlin says. “I see a future with more of that. There are just so many opportunities to make a tremendous impact in the lives of sick kids and their families.”
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events
JANUARY 22 & 23, 2020
FEBRUARY 14 TO 17, 2020
MARCH 19, 2020
MAY 9, 2020
Corus Radiothon
10th Annual Stollery Family Day Classic
Joy Ride
Teddy Bear Fun Run
The Corus Radiothon is a live, two-day event aired on CISN Country 103.9 and broadcast from the lobby of the Stollery Children’s Hospital. During the radiothon, young patients and their families share stories of hope, help and healing to give listeners an idea of everyday life at the Hospital. FUNDS RAISED: $1,484,302 in 2019 TRIVIA TIDBIT: Last year’s event marked the Radiothon’s 20th anniversary and included the hard work and support of a whopping 114 volunteers.
Learn more at stollerykids.com/radiothon
This beloved event sees more than 80 hockey teams, from Novice to Bantum, come together at the Terwillegar Community Recreation Centre to play free-flowing, non-contact games — all in support of Hockey groups and the Stollery Children’s Hospital. FUNDS RAISED: Since 2011, the event has raised more than $2.9 million, with 75% of funds supporting Stollery kids’ physical and mental health care, and 25% supporting player developmental initiatives at Hockey Edmonton. TRIVIA TIDBIT: Participating teams hail from all over Alberta and include co-ed and all-girls teams, too.
Now in its third year, this high-energy gathering supports two great charities: the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation and Make-A-Wish Northern Alberta. Participating teams (made up of families, friends and/or co-workers) embark on a spin-a-thon at the East Concourse Level of Edmonton City Centre. Joy ride, indeed!
Taking place each year at Rundle Park, this five-kilometre run, walk and stroll helps raise funds for the Stollery’s priority needs, including equipment, programs, training and research. A highlight of the event? The Teddy Bear Hospital, where kids of all ages can get their well-worn stuffies all patched up.
FUNDS RAISED: $70,390 in 2019
FUNDS RAISED: $278,612 in 2019
TRIVIA TIDBIT: Last year’s event saw 210 riders, 12 hours, 30 stationary bikes and 10 instructor-led sessions.
TRIVIA TIDBIT: Last year’s event saw more than 1,600 participants, 367 incentive prizes awarded and 24 sponsors — and the Stollery Children’s Hospital put in a team of more than 40 staff!
Learn more at yegjoyride.com
Learn more at teddybearfunrun.com
Learn more at familydayclassic.com
Visit stollerykids.com/events for a complete list of our upcoming events. 10
HEROES MAGAZINE | FALL 2019
CORUS RADIOTHON AND TEDDY BEAR FUN RUN PHOTOS BY ROB HISLOP; JOY RIDE PHOTO BY EVANESSENCE PHOTOGRAPHY
SAVE THE DATE
big give
20 Years of
TEDDY FOR A TOONIE The ATB Financial annual campaign is supporting major mental health initiatives for children and youth BY JULIA WILLIAMS ATB EMPLOYEES AT A FUNDRAISING EVENT.
I
n 1990, Tracy Martins sold T-shirts and held a fundraiser at the Calgary Sunridge ATB branch where she worked, in an effort to provide support to the Alberta Children’s Hospital (located in Calgary). Any customer who donated two dollars or more was invited to write their name on a paper teddy bear, which was then hung in the branch. Martins’s coworkers were enthusiastic about the project — and ATB employees from other Calgary branches also loved the idea. The following year, more branches invited their clients to donate in exchange for a paper bear. The event became an annual tradition and, 20 years later, ATB continues to devote the month of May to fundraising for children’s health care in Alberta through the popular, company-wide event called Teddy for a Toonie. To date, the campaign has raised more than $10 million, with funds going to the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation, the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital Foundation and the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation.
According to Lori Finck, a senior development officer at the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation, ATB and the Stollery share a deep sense of responsibility to the Alberta communities they serve. “We’re always really excited to partner with ATB. They’ve been there supporting the Stollery since the very beginning,” Finck says. “They make sure employees have time to plan and execute these fundraising activities, and that’s one reason why this campaign has stood the test of time.” Over the last two decades, the original paper bears were replaced with actual stuffed teddy bears, and the t-shirt fundraiser concept expanded to other events, from raffles and used book sales to golf tournaments and even, one year, a race that saw teams running, pushing and riding wheeled beds through the streets of Bonnyville. This year, ATB’s Grande Prairie branch raised a record $30,000 in one night with a murder mystery event. Curtis Stange, president and CEO of ATB Financial, says he’s always impressed by the energy his team throws into fundraising efforts: “They find new and creative ways to raise money for this cause.” The funds raised through ATB’s efforts have purchased essential medical equipment for the Stollery Children’s Hospital, helped to build a specialized pediatric emergency department and contributed to critical updates to the facility. This year, Teddy for a Toonie raised $644,000, province-wide, with $305,000 for the Stollery. The funds
will support counselling, bereavement and family-centred programs, such as pet and music therapies, at the Stollery Children’s Hospital, pediatric mental health research through the University of Alberta, and integrated youth services and hubs in backyards across Alberta that will improve outcomes for young people living with mental health issues. A portion of this year’s Teddy for a Toonie province-wide funds will also support the new Calgary Centre for Child & Adolescent Mental Health, which is expected to open in 2021, as well as the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital Foundation to help create a youth mental health lounge at the new regional hospital there (the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation has also committed to raise $275,000 for this lounge). The opportunity to contribute to improving mental health care for young people is a meaningful cause for many ATB participants, and it’s a personal one for Stange, a long-time mental health advocate and a member of the Canadian Mental Health Association. “One in five kids struggle with mental health issues and only half can access the help they need. Improving the conversation around mental health and the supports in place for those struggling is a personal passion of mine,” Stange says. “I am so proud that my team members are mental health champions.”
Learn more at why.atb.com/ teddy-for-a-toonie.
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HOCKEY JERSEYS WERE AWARDED TO THE TOP 10 STOLLERY FAMILY DAY CLASSIC FUNDRAISERS.
The Stollery
Family Day Classic A youth hockey tournament with heart BY JENNIFER DOROZIO
E
very year on Family Day weekend, a small army of players, parents and hockey enthusiasts gathers at the Terwillegar Community Recreation Centre for the popular Stollery Family Day Classic (SFDC) youth charity hockey tournament, in support of the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation and Hockey Edmonton. Operating at full tilt, the annual event uses all four of the centre’s rinks to host the tournament, during which the players — divided by skill level from novice to Bantam — play free-flowing, four-on-four games. Beyond the hockey itself, the event also features family-friendly activities like face-painting and balloon-making. “It’s electric, it’s packed. We have tens of thousands of people come from all over Alberta over the four days,” says tournament founder and chairman Steve Serdachny, who started the event out of a deep love of hockey and a belief in the importance of supporting both the physical and social well-being of kids. “I thought, this tournament is a great opportunity to grow the game
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HEROES MAGAZINE | FALL 2019
while supporting so many different areas. [It’s about] teaching kids and teaching families about growing together, and getting [everyone] off their screens and interacting together.” Since the first tournament 10 years ago, the SFDC has raised around $3 million, splitting its donations between DID YOU KNOW? Hockey Edmonton, 70% of mental various other hockey health issues start organizations, and in childhood and Youth mental health the Stollery Children’s adolescence. is a critical focus at the Hospital Foundation. Stollery, says Katherine This year’s donation Captain, director of to the Foundation went development for the Stollery specifically toward supportChildren’s Hospital Foundation ing mental health initiatives at the and the Foundation’s mental health Hospital, including family counselling services and sibling support programs. campaign director. She points out that 70 per cent of mental health issues “We have to address how serious start in childhood and adolescence, [youth mental health challenges] are and about half of all adults who deal in our society: kids with anxiety, dewith chronic mental health disorders pression, eating disorders, substance exhibit symptoms as early as age 14. use problems. It’s something we have “As part of our ongoing and longto bring attention to because kids need term commitment to ensuring that help and families need support,” says kids get the best chance of living a long Serdachny.
ongoing commitment IN THEIR OWN WORDS THIS YEAR’S Stollery Family Day Classic raised more than $310,000, in part for mental health support programs at the Stollery Children’s Hospital. Here’s what a few of the people involved with the SFDC had to say about the importance of supporting mental health initiatives for youth:
PHOTO COURTESY SERDACHNY HOCKEY
“When kids break bones, or have an injury or disability, those are often more visible things that people can see, but it’s super important that we identify the mental health aspect of getting support and also getting the help and programming [children and teens] need in place. It’s something that is under-addressed.” —Steve Serdachny, founder of SFDC
and healthy life, we continue to invest in both physical and mental health,” says Captain, who explains that with the help of donors, the Foundation is greatly expanding family-centred mental health programs and resources at the Stollery. Since 2007, the Foundation has also poured more than $6 million into 99 pediatric mental health research projects through the Women and Children’s Health Research Institute at the University of Alberta. Events like the SFDC help to not only reduce the stigma around mental health, but support vital programs that help to address it.
“[SFDC] is about growing the game, but beyond that it’s about getting kids engaged and thinking about others,” says Serdachny. The February 2019 SFDC had 82 participating youth hockey teams (over 1,500 players) from all across Alberta, including teams from Fort McMurray, Bonnyville, Edmonton and Calgary. Around 200 volunteers and a crowd of approximately 60,000 onlookers took part in the weekend’s festivities. Next year’s SFDC will be the 10th annual event, and takes place February 15-18, 2020.
“Mental health matters for everyone, not just adults. I hope that there will be a day when all individuals struggling with mental illness feel comfortable and empowered seeking support, no matter what age.” —Tracy Martin, SFDC tournament co-ordinator “The decision to support mental health initiatives is important now more than ever. Kids and teens need a safe place to go to and an unbiased person to talk to, in order to learn how to manage and express their emotions.” —Cindy Yamada, sponsor of the event through B. Wright Drywall and Summit Insulation
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The Stollery
Comes to Sturgeon The new Stollery NICU at the Sturgeon Community Hospital opened its doors this October — an essential addition that the community supports. BY KARIN OLAFSON • PHOTOGRAPHY BY COOPER & O’HARA
E
very day is a busy day over in the labour and delivery unit at the Sturgeon Community Hospital. And recently, the unit has only gotten busier: the number of deliveries here has dramatically increased in the last few years as the population of St. Albert and its surrounding communities grows. Thankfully, now that the Stollery neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is open on-site, the hospital is more prepared than ever to deliver the best care possible to its youngest patients. The new Stollery NICU officially opened its doors at the Sturgeon Community Hospital in October 2019. The addition of this six-bed NICU means the hospital now has the space, specialized equipment and trained staff to keep babies who need neonatal intensive care close to home. The Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation is raising an additional $2 million for the new NICU to fund staff training and additional stateof-the-art equipment essential to the continued running of the unit. The need for the Stollery NICU in Sturgeon County was clear. Prior to the unit’s arrival, Alberta Health Services had identified the Sturgeon Community Hospital as the largest labour and delivery site in Alberta without neonatal support. In other words, any baby born there requiring
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neonatal intensive care had to be transferred to one of four NICUs in Edmonton. In fact, approximately every three days, the Stollery transport team rushed a newborn from St. Albert to a NICU in Edmonton. As Nafisa Bowen, development officer of major gifts with the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation, points out, the new Stollery NICU changes that. “Now, any baby born at the Sturgeon Community Hospital has access to neonatal intensive care if needed,” says Bowen. “The new Stollery NICU brings a critical level of care to this community and the surrounding communities, and it will be able to provide that care for generations to come.”
ELEVATING NEONATAL CARE AT HOME Lisa Lenuik is a registered nurse by training and is currently working as the Stollery patient care manager with the Stollery Neonatal Intensive Care program at the Sturgeon Community Hospital site. In this role, she oversees the NICU nurses and support services at the hospital and also helped with the development, design and opening of the Stollery NICU. “I was able to visit other NICU sites in Edmonton and take some of the components I saw working well at those other units and help incorporate them here in St. Albert,” says
Lenuik. “Personally, I’m happy to see the innovations and expert practices the Stollery is known for incorporated into the Stollery NICU at the Sturgeon Community Hospital, making this a great unit for the NICU team to provide quality care here in the community.” Lenuik says she’s also excited that the new unit allows the staff she oversees to provide care that meets the hospital’s current demand. Between April 2018 and March 2019, close to 3,000 babies were born at the Sturgeon Community Hospital. During that time, 121 of those babies had to be transferred to Edmonton for a higher level of care than the Sturgeon Community Hospital could provide. “The new Stollery NICU allows us to keep many of those babies here and with their parents,” says Lenuik.
sturgeon I’M HAPPY TO SEE THE INNOVATIONS AND EXPERT PRACTICES THE STOLLERY IS KNOWN FOR INCORPORATED INTO THE STOLLERY NICU AT THE STURGEON COMMUNITY HOSPITAL. LISA LENUIK
LISA LENUIK INSIDE THE NEW STOLLERY NICU.
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sturgeon “Keeping mom and baby together is essential for bonding, it increases milk production and decreases anxiety. It’s heartbreaking to see a baby separate from its mom to go to a unit outside of the St. Albert area. That’s the hardest part of the frontline nurses’ job: easing parents’ fears when they learn their baby isn’t well, needs medical support and can’t go home.” Lenuik adds that keeping newborns in the community — or at least a little closer to their hometowns — and keeping families together will relieve some stress during what can be a difficult time.
COMMUNITY SPIRIT AND SUPPORT Craig Strain has personally experienced the deep stress of being separated from his child. In January 2016, the St. Albert local’s newborn son, Grier, had to be rushed to Misericordia Community Hospital’s NICU in Edmonton. “If we’d had a NICU in St. Albert at that time, it could have saved my wife and I a lot of anxiety and tension when Grier was born,” says Strain. “I remember the transport team arriving with what looked like a portable yellow submarine, ready to transport my son to the Misericordia at one in the morning. That was difficult, and then it was a real process for us to pack up and drive across the city to meet them in Edmonton.” Like Lenuik, Strain is certain the new Stollery NICU will have a huge impact for families in Sturgeon County and beyond, and he has been actively showing his support. Strain is a member of the St. Albert chapter of the Canadian Progress Club, which is a national service group with just under 30 chapters across the country. Each chapter sets its own fundraising goals, and the St. Albert chapter focuses mostly on supporting children’s charities. So, when Strain and his fellow club-members first heard about the Stollery NICU coming to St. Albert,
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WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
THE STOLLERY NICU MURAL CONCEPT.
they recognized immediately that the project aligned perfectly with their mission. The club and the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation partnered in January 2019, and the club set the goal of raising half a million dollars to support the new NICU. This summer, the club launched its mosaic mural fundraiser. Donors support the fundraiser by paying for one of the mosaic’s 713 tiles; the final six-by-eight-foot mosaic piece, which will be installed in 2020, will live in the new Stollery NICU’s family lounge and will brighten up the area for visiting families. Nationally acclaimed mosaic mural artist Lewis Lavoie, who is from St. Albert, is creating the family-friendly mural out of tiles customized for donors. The final piece will depict a young child holding a teddy bear. “We wanted the end-result of the fundraiser to be something inviting and cheerful, but also long-lasting within the new NICU family lounge,” says Strain. “The mosaic mural creates a memory of how the entire community came together to support this major, invaluable Stollery NICU project to help families from backyards across St. Albert and the Sturgeon County Area.”
You can be part of this amazing fundraising opportunity — and help Stollery kids and their families from backyards across Sturgeon County — by donating before December 31, 2019, to get your own custom tile on the mural
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$1,000
Commissioned tile by artist Lewis Lavoie
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$500
Text or corporate logo tile
3
$100
Name on the mural border
Donate today at stollerykids.com/ sturgeon
training
Foundations for Success Fellowships are a key component to making the Stollery Children’s Hospital the leading pediatric Hospital it is today BY GEOFF GEDDES
EVERY YEAR, the Foundation gives more than a million dollars to the department of pediatrics at the University of Alberta for fellowships to train the brightest medical minds in the country and attract them to the Stollery Children’s Hospital. In 2018 alone, the Foundation provided $1.25 million to fund some or all of the training for 15 fellows, and has supported 45 trainees since 2016.
WHAT’S A FELLOWSHIP? A fellowship is an additional training program pursued by a medical professional who has completed their Pediatric Residency Training and is already a pediatrician or certified as a doctor in a related field. Support for this extra
training comes from a variety of sources, and is necessary when it comes to helping doctors provide the complex care that many children at centres like the Stollery Children’s Hospital require. By funding fellowships, the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation drives the development of physicians in core disciplines, as well as areas of specialized or identified needs for the Stollery. Areas covered run the gamut, including interventional cardiology and imaging, transplant medicine, transitional research, academic pediatrics, palliative care, child protection and maltreatment, chronic complex care and pain medicine, to name a few. While learning their area of expertise
In 2018 alone, the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation provided $1.25 million to fund some or all of the training for 15 fellows.
under the mentorship of clinician teachers, fellows provide specialized care during the daytime and also on night shifts — which, in turn, increases patient access to specialized services at the Stollery. By supporting an average of 12 clinical — and one clinical research — fellowship positions each year, the Foundation is arming patients with outstanding, leading-edge care while promoting the greater dissemination of Stollery expertise locally, nationally and on the international stage. After fellowship completion, many of these trainees go on to become staff physicians caring for children, either at the Stollery or in referral centres. In addition, many continue the cycle of excellence by training the next generation of physicians. The expansion and success of these fellowships, as well as retention of highly skilled physicians, can be traced directly to the opportunities provided by the partnership of the department of pediatrics at the University of Alberta and the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation.
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MEET the Fellows PEDIATRIC PALLIATIVE CARE: 2018-19 Faced with a dearth of training opportunities for her area of interest, Dr. Hayley Turnbull found the perfect fit with a Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation fellowship in pediatric palliative care. Her diverse training program included eight weeks in adult palliative care in Edmonton, eight weeks with the Stollery ASSIST team (Aid for Symptoms and Serious Illness Support Team), two weeks with the acute pain service at the Stollery and experience at children’s hospitals in Saskatoon, Ottawa and Toronto. After completing her fellowship in February, Turnbull began working full-time at the Stollery in April, in two capacities: pediatric hospital medicine and pediatric palliative care with ASSIST, a small team comprised of a nurse, doctors and two psychologists who work with children and families. “My fellowship provided a foundation for me to serve on the ASSIST team in treating the whole person and family, optimizing symptom control and quality of life,” says Turnbull.
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Dr. Jillian Popel
CHILD MALTREATMENT: 2016-17 Upon completing her four-year pediatric residency at the Stollery, Dr. Jillian Popel wanted additional training in child maltreatment pediatrics, which primarily involves the medical evaluation of physical abuse, sexual abuse and neglect. The Foundation-funded fellowship made that possible, supporting nine months of specialized training at the Stollery and three months at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. At present, Popel splits her time at the Stollery between child maltreatment pediatrics at the Child and Adolescent Protection Centre, and general inpatient pediatrics. “The work is emotionally challenging, but it’s highly satisfying to be advocating for kids, partnering with police and children’s services and providing education about the medical aspects of child maltreatment,” says Popel.
DR. HAYLEY TURNBULL, DR. JILLIAN POPEL, DR. TARA MCGRATH, DR. SNEHA SURESH PHOTOS COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA
Dr. Hayley Turnbull
These are just some of the notable fellows and fellowships the Foundation has funded over the years:
training
Dr. Tara McGrath
PEDIATRIC PAIN MEDICINE: 2017-18 When her pediatric residency at the Stollery sparked a personal interest in pain medicine, Dr. McGrath submitted a proposal for specialized training to the Stollery Specialty Committee. The committee approved it, allowing McGrath to learn more about the intricacies of chronic pain and general pain medicine. While training primarily at the Stollery, she also spent time at leading chronic pain centres in Australia and the United Kingdom. McGrath is currently a rheumatology fellow in Vancouver, but she plans to rejoin the Stollery and work in both rheumatology and chronic pain. “The fellowship completely shaped my career path and gave me training I would not have received otherwise,” says McGrath. “As a result, I’m better equipped to help these young people improve their function and quality of life.”
Dr. Sneha Suresh
INFECTIOUS DISEASE WITH IMMUNOLOGY: 2017-18 Merging the specialties of infectious disease and immunology is a non-traditional career path, but the Foundation’s fellowship made it possible for Dr. Sneha Suresh. After finishing infectious disease training at the Stollery, she learned immunology at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, one of the senior institutions in
Dr. Cameron Seaman
PEDIATRIC CARDIAC CATHETERIZATION: 2015-16 Dr. Cameron Seaman came from the other side of the globe to benefit from a Stollery fellowship, and it was well worth the effort for this Australian doctor. Drawn by the Stollery’s reputation as having one of the leading pediatric cardiac programs in North America, Seaman made the journey, received extensive training and never looked back. After completing his fellowship in late 2016, Seaman assumed a staff cardiac position (specializing in cardiac catheterization) at the Stollery. In 2018, he was announced as the director of the Stollery’s pediatric cardiac catheterization program. “Without the fellowship, it would have been very challenging for me to obtain training in this sub-specialty,” says Seaman. “The chance to gain exposure to this area at a world premier centre for pediatric cardiology was invaluable.”
Canada for this specialty. Suresh now applies her knowledge as a clinical immunologist at the Stollery, treating children with immune system issues and educating other residents and fellows in immunology. “The fellowship allowed for an innovative mix of specialties, enabling me to offer much-needed expertise to the Stollery and do my part in assessing why children get infections,” says Suresh.
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A GENEROUS Corporate Culture Employees of SMS Equipment are dedicated to supporting kids with medical needs through the Children’s Miracle Network BY ELIZABETH CHORNEY-BOOTH
W
hen it comes to Canadian charities, few have the name recognition of the Children’s Miracle Network (CMN). Since 1983, the Network has been raising money in
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the name of sick and injured kids, distributing those funds to 170 member hospitals throughout North America, including the Stollery Children’s Hospital. Countless businesses get involved with CMN’s fundraising efforts, including SMS Equipment, a Canada-wide
industrial equipment supplier that has made helping kids with medical needs part of its corporate culture. CMN is a popular charity for many corporations, but unlike most other companies that typically collect pointof-sales donations from customers to raise funds for the Network, SMS’s contributions come primarily from its employees — staff members voluntarily donate a portion of their paycheques over the summer every year and the company matches those donated funds. Each employee determines how much they want to donate, and the staff have been very generous: since partnering with CMN in 2011, SMS has donated approximately $2 million to the charity, benefiting children’s hospitals all over Canada. “It’s quite a bit different than many of the other CMN campaigns that support us,” says Angela Bennett, development officer with the Stollery Children’s Hospital
big give EACH YEAR, SMS EMPLOYEES IN FORT MCMURRAY TAKE PART IN A VARIETY OF FUNDRAISING EVENTS FOR CMN.
Foundation’s CMN program. “It’s a testament to the generosity of the employees and the community that they have built. Also, the leadership there is incredible and has a huge impact on the corporate culture.” Since the company specializes in industrial equipment, one of SMS’s biggest branches is in Fort McMurray, which means the CMN proceeds raised by northern Alberta residents through that location go directly to the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation, since the Stollery serves the northern part of Alberta (commuter donations, however, go to hospitals in Atlantic Canada or other regions based on their permanent addresses). The Fort McMurray SMS branch has more than 500 employees, with nearly 50 per cent of them contributing to the annual campaign. In addition to the paycheque donations, the Fort McMurray branch also holds 50/50 draws, raffles featuring prizes donated from customers and suppliers, a customer appreciation breakfast and various barbecues and employee lunches, all designed to raise money for the cause, while also
WE’VE GOT A VERY LARGE BRANCH HERE AND WE DO LIVE IN A REGION WHERE PEOPLE ARE KNOWN FOR BEING VERY GENEROUS. DANIELLE MACKAY
creating a bonding experience for SMS employees. “We’ve had some colleagues that have used the Stollery on a pretty large capacity and we’ve had them speak at our events to give people perspective on what goes on in the hospitals,” says Danielle MacKay, the components supervisor at SMS Fort McMurray, who also sits on the CMN fundraising committee. “We see the impact it’s had on their lives. That first-hand knowledge of how the Hospital benefits the community is really important.” MacKay says that the branch’s participation affects many levels of the company. She makes sure to hold campaign events at different times of the
day so that employees can participate in something, no matter what shift they happen to work. The enthusiasm also trickles down from the top: a thank-you event for staff involved in the campaign was held at branch manager Larry Gouthro’s home, and a vice president of the company participated in last year’s pie throwing contest, willingly taking pies to the face to raise money for kids in need. “As a company, we’re pretty fortunate,” MacKay says. “We’ve got a very large branch here and we do live in a region where people are known for being very generous. All of those components have made this campaign such a huge success.”
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giving back
Racing for a Cure One of the largest gatherings of exotic cars in North America is also one of the largest charity events for kids BY JENNIFER DOROZIO
STOLLERY KID CARTER AT THIS YEAR’S RACING FOR A CURE EVENT.
AS A FORMER Stollery Children’s Hospital patient himself, Mike Christiansen knows how special a day dedicated solely to fun can be for a sick kid. That’s why he created the annual fundraising event Racing for a Cure, which gives kids who are Stollery patients the opportunity to “feel like rock stars” by taking part in a jam-packed day of rides and games, all ending in one giant party. “I know exactly what [children at the Stollery] are going through — all the needles, all the doctors’ procedures,” says Christiansen. “This event gives them a break from that for a day and tells them they’re not alone in their situation.” Christiansen is a “Stollery kid” who spent most of the first five years of his life being treated for a congenital heart defect. Following those first five years, his Hospital visits continued — but with less frequency — until he was 42 years old, as the Stollery Congenital Heart Program treats kids through adulthood. Creating the Racing for a Cure event eight years ago was Christiansen’s way of giving back to a Hospital that
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provided him with such excellent care for much of his life. But back in 2012, when he launched the event, he had no idea how well it would take off. The first Racing for a Cure consisted of 25 exotic cars — including Christiansen’s own Ferrari 360 NovaTec Spider — gathered together at the Stratotech Park Race Track in Fort Saskatchewan. Stollery kids were given rides around the track and the event pulled in $80,000 through donations from drivers and corporate sponsors. This year’s June 22 event was just a bit larger in scale — seven helicopters, 65 cars, 100 Stollery kids (accompanied by their parents and siblings), more than 100 volunteers, dozens of sponsors and a large crowd of spectators. The 2019 event raised $243,353 in gross revenue and gift-in-kind donations ($125,758 net) for the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation. “We wanted to give some VIP sick kids an experience that they’ll remember forever,” says Christiansen. Event day for the kids began early at the Villeneuve Airport, outside of Edmonton, with a helicopter flight over the city. After touching down, kids got to ride shotgun in their assigned exotic and custom cars — this year’s standout was a Porsche Carrera GT worth $1.5 million — through the cities of St. Albert and Edmonton in one long, parade-like procession, finally ending up at Edmonton’s Alberta Legislature Grounds with a police escort. There, more than 30 different activities awaited the guests of honour, including climbing walls, human-sized hamster balls and a reverse bungee that shoots 30 feet into the air. “[The energy] is over the moon, the kids are so delighted to have the
whole day geared for them,” says Christiansen, who drives in the event every year with a different car graphic (this year’s was Spider Man). Previously, donations have been split between the Stollery and other children’s charities, like Kids with Cancer Society and Autism Edmonton, but Christiansen sees an all-Stollery donation this year as a way for kids with a wide variety of needs to be addressed. Event funds are raised every year through various channels. For example, each event driver raises at least $1,000. There are also corporate sponsorships and an evening fundraising gala that happens on the same day as Racing for a Cure, where a charity auction takes place. “The money [goes into] investing in the best people, programs, equipment and research to make sure the Stollery remains one of the top-three best children’s hospitals in the country and the most specialized in all of Western Canada,” says Ali Powers, events specialist at the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation. While the impact based on dollars donated is huge, the event’s attendees also feel its immediate and lasting positive effects. Alison DeJong’s two children, Carter (14) and Makayla (12), participated this year, and she describes it as a “mini wish” day for her family. Carter is chronically ill with multiple diseases, including fibromyalgia and Dysautonomia, and Makayla has chronic migraines. “The day was filled with amazing moments that, as parents, made our hearts explode with appreciation and gratitude. It was a day where the kids could just be kids and be totally present in the moment,” says Alison. And Carter’s favourite part? “I loved riding in the helicopter and the Lamborghini,” he says. “Really every part of it I loved. I don’t think I could pick one thing. It was the best day.”
Stollery Wedding Program Make a life-changing difference on your special day for kids in your community.
We provide you the tools to highlight your commitment to kids’ health. Learn more: stollerykids.com/weddings or call 780.431.4604
Donate to honour a Hospital staff member or team who helped you when you needed it most. Your donation supports specialized equipment, training, research and programs at the Hospital.
Donate today to honour your Stollerific Care Giver.
stollerific.com | #stollerific | 780.433.KIDS (5437)
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Premature birth to backyard,
Cameron, 5 Edmonton, AB
Stollery care gets kids there.
Donate today stollerykids.com 53,854 317,461+
EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS
PATIENT VISITS AND GROWING
39%
OF INPATIENTS COME FROM OUTSIDE THE EDMONTON AREA
Cameron loves swimming, macaroni and spending time with his older brother – all thanks to the experts at the Stollery Children’s Hospital who never gave up on him. Born prematurely and weighing just over two pounds, Cameron spent 254 days in the Stollery neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at the Royal Alexandra Hospital site and the Stollery NICU at the University Hospital, including two weeks on an artificial lung machine with a 50 per cent chance of survival. Today, Cameron is thriving and gets ongoing care at the Stollery for cerebral palsy, which is why his family is grateful to have a world-class children’s hospital right in their backyard.
780.433.KIDS (5437) | stollerykids.com/inmybackyard | #StolleryBackyard
*per year