Jayda Williamson
In March 2017, Jayda — an athletic and active then eleven-year-old — became ill with a fever and started vomiting. The next day when she began wheezing, Jayda’s parents, Lisa and Brent, rushed her to the IWK emergency department.
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Ella Elkins
February 6, 2017 radiothonPICUneurologychildren's healthtelethon
Beating the Odds
In early July 2016, a fall off a bleacher landed five-year old Ella Elkins, then of Port aux Basques, Newfoundland, in her local hospital. She was rushed to the Janeway Hospital in St. John’s with what appeared to be a brain hemorrhage. There it was discovered that Ella had a brain arteriovenous malformation (AVM) meaning that she had a tangle of abnormal blood vessels connecting arteries and veins in the brain. The cause is unknown. Ella was immediately transported via air ambulance to IWK for life-saving surgery.
I will be forever grateful to the IWK for saving my daughter’s life. - Melissa, Ella's mom
The IWK’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) became Ella’s home away from home for the next month and a half. She temporarily lost her vision, was unable to speak and suffered paralysis on her left side. After her condition began to improve Ella’s care continued on the inpatient unit 7 Link.
Today, Ella and her mom now live in Halifax and Ella is doing great! She is in grade primary and IWK Occupational Therapists visit her school a few times a week to help her strengthen her muscles and movement.
Watch Ella's story
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Cooper Thornton
In September, 2016, then six-year old Cooper Thornton was diagnosed with a brain tumour at his local hospital in Fredericton, NB. Two days later his family travelled from their home to the IWK where Cooper was admitted. Here, they met with the IWK’s neurosurgery team and learned that Cooper had a tumour the size of a small orange. He would need surgery.
Team Crossley
Going the distance for the IWK
When Cole Harbour, NS father-daughter team Brad and Alexis Crossley decided to enter the Trans Am Bike Race, they saw the US cross-country race as a platform they could use to encourage others to live an active lifestyle by raising funds for the IWK Health Centre.
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