
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.
February 6, 2017 radiothonPICUneurologychildren's healthtelethon
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.
Excellence is in your hands.
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