This holiday season, please take a moment to donate to the IWK to help Maritime children like Adley, who must spend the holidays in the hospital instead of at home.
More than a year after Jenna and Logan’s daughter, Adley, was born in August 2024, she is still receiving specialized care at the IWK. Sadly, she couldn’t spend the holidays at home with her family in Cape Breton, and this may be the heartbreaking reality again this year.
Although Jenna had a healthy pregnancy, Adley began experiencing serious health complications within 24 hours of her birth. Little did Jenna and Logan know that this would mark the beginning of a rollercoaster journey for their precious little girl and family.
Adley’s dedicated IWK care team quickly discovered she was vomiting bile (digestive fluid)—often a sign of a medical emergency in newborns. An X-ray confirmed she had gut dysmotility, a condition where the muscles and nerves of the digestive system don’t function properly, which can cause vomiting, pain, and discomfort.
Adley was immediately admitted to the IWK’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and underwent emergency surgery. It was a complete shock for Jenna and Logan. They went from preparing to take their baby girl home to not understanding why she was so sick. It was terrifying for them not knowing whether she’d be okay.
When Adley turned five weeks old, she was transferred to the IWK’s Pediatric Medical Unit, where she remains today. Over the past year, she has undergone numerous medical tests and procedures, including genetic testing.
Jenna and Logan were devastated when they learned Adley would have to spend her first holiday season at the IWK. They have five other children—all under the age of 13—at home in Cape Breton.
Adley receives nutrition through an IV because she still can’t tolerate being fed through a feeding tube, so the IV is a lifeline for her.
When Jenna returns home to Cape Breton, she’s comforted knowing Adley is receiving the best care at the IWK. “Her doctors and nurses care for her as if she were their own,” says Jenna. “They send regular updates and photos, so I always know how she’s doing. That eases the pain of being apart.”
Adley turned one year old in August, and despite everything she has been through, she always smiles and shows Jenna and Logan just how strong and brave she is.
Jenna and Logan don't know when Adley will come home, but they know she’s where she needs to be to get better.
Although the road has been long and challenging for them, they know it could have been much worse if they hadn’t had the IWK to care for her. “We truly feel so fortunate to have the IWK in our lives—and in our region,” says Jenna. “I sometimes wonder how my family would make it through this difficult ordeal if we had to travel provinces away for the specialized care Adley needs.”
