Spring 2001 - Children`s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Foundation

Inside
CHEO’s
Champion Child 2001 . . . . . .
1
Donor dollars well spent . . .
3
Telethon &
Radiothon . . . . . . . . . . .
4&5
Endowment Funds . . . . . . . .
6
Child Life specialist Heather Crawford
thinks Eric has shown why he is a
Champion Child.
Eric Champagne’s
long journey
O
n June 15, 2000, 15-year-old Eric Champagne walked from his room to the
nurses’ station on 5 West at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario.
A crowd of doctors, nurses, fellow patients and family members gathered
as he made the short trip down the corridor. A spontaneous round of applause broke
out as he made it to the desk. Eric had come a long way.
Five months earlier, on a bitterly cold evening in February, Eric called his mother
at 7 p.m. to say that he was on his way home by snowmobile.
When Eric didn’t arrive by 8:30 p.m., and hadn’t called to say that he would be
late, his family assumed the worst, and began searching for him.
The temperature had dropped to -25 degrees Celsius that night, and he could have
been anywhere on a series of trails, as far as 75 kilometres from his home in Rockland,
Ont., just east of Ottawa.
At 2 a.m., after searching for almost seven hours, Eric’s stepfather, Paul Lanoy,
found the badly injured boy clinging to life in the woods just off the trail, 50 or so
kilometres from home.
Eric is not entirely sure what happened, but his mother Rachel St-Jean speculated
that her son hit some sort of pothole on the trail causing him to lose control, sending
him careening into a clump of trees. The trees must have stripped Eric’s boots and
gloves from his body, and he probably remained unconscious for a long period of
time. When Paul found him, Eric was conscious, but his feet and hands were frozen,
and he said that his neck hurt.
continued on next page
elcome to the 16th
edition of The Teddy
Bear Times, a semiannual newsletter for
donors, supporters and friends,
published by the Children’s
Hospital Foundation.
W
We encourage your comments
and suggestions. Please address
all correspondence to:
The Children’s Hospital
Foundation
415 Smyth Road
Ottawa ON K1H 8M8
Attention: Alan Roberts
Director of Communications
Information about the Foundation
is also available on the Internet
thanks to corporate support from
Magma Communications Ltd.
Visit our Web site:
www.cheofoundation.com
415 Smyth
Ottawa ON
K1H 8M8
Teddy Bear Times
Eric Champagne’s long journey continued from page 1
“Eric just wanted to be left alone,” said his mother, agonizing
over the events that have played out in her mind thousands of
times. “They told me that was the hypothermia,” she said. “His
body was almost shut down and he just wanted to go to sleep.”
Paul had no intention of letting his beloved stepson slip away.
With the help of his brother-in-law who had joined the search,
Lanoy got Eric out of the woods to a road not far away. As luck
would have it, an Ontario Provincial Police officer was driving by,
during a road search for Eric. Because Eric’s condition was so
grave, there was no time to wait for medical assistance. The police
officer agreed to transport Eric in the back of his cruiser.
Eric went first to the Hawkesbury General Hospital and then
was sent by ambulance to CHEO. “They told me I couldn’t go in
the ambulance,” recalls Rachel, “because there was too much
equipment.” Later, she found out they didn’t want her to ride
with him because they didn’t think he was going to survive.
For the next five months, Eric and his family’s strong faith
was put to the ultimate test. Eric’s injuries included hypothermia,
severe frostbite on both his feet and hands and five broken
vertebrae in his neck. While in the intensive care unit, several
embolisms formed in Eric’s lungs further threatening his life.
Rachel never doubted for a minute that her son would be OK.
but she is constantly amazed by how well Eric has dealt with
everything that has happened to him.
So too are many of the staff at the Children’s Hospital that
have worked with Eric. Heather Crawford, a Child Life specialist,
who worked closely with Eric and his family said, “Eric’s
strength, courage and humour to overcome these life-altering
injuries has inspired all who know him.”
Eric and his family can’t say enough about CHEO and the
staff. When asked about any special people who have really
helped him, their list is more than a dozen names, including
Dr. Splinter, Dr. Reed, ICU nurse Edgar and 5 West nurses
Christine, Mark and Sandy, and his teacher Lucie.
Rachel talks about a special bond they feel with so many of
CHEO’s incredible staff. “They are like part of the family,” she
says, “and the sad part is that you don’t think about CHEO until
you have to come here because you need it. That is why everyone
should support CHEO because you just never know.”
He required halo traction to stabilize his head and neck and
g-tube surgery to address nutritional issues. Although doctors
tried everything, Eric’s legs below the knees as well as part of his
right hand were amputated several weeks after the accident.
Eric underwent extensive rehabilitation to reach his goal of
walking on prosthetic legs and feet by discharge in June. When
Eric walked out of CHEO June 29, 2000, he had come a long way.
This spring he’ll travel a long way as CHEO’s Champion Child
while participating in Children’s Miracle Network events here in
the region and in Orlando, Florida with children from all over
North America.
“Sometimes you hear a child say that his mother or father is
his hero,” says Eric’s mother. “I often say that Eric is my hero.”
CHEO was there to make a difference in the life of this
remarkable young man, a true champion. A
Nicholas Barfoot’s
adventures
continue in 2001
S
upporters of last year’s Pre-Telethon campaign will be happy to
hear that little Nicholas Barfoot is doing well. Nicholas underwent
open-heart surgery at CHEO shortly after Christmas to further
repair his heart and arteries. A week later, doctors opted to operate again
to make additional repairs rather than waiting a few more months. The
results were good and Nicholas was better able to breathe on his own
without oxygen. This surgery had been delayed a number of times,
partially because Nicholas was doing so much better than doctors had
expected. On Jan. 24, Nicholas went home. “Only one third of babies with
similar conditions do as well as Nicholas has done,” said Mark, Nicholas’
dad. “We truly praise God for his hand in Nicholas’ good health.”
Early donations generate excitement
Last year’s mail campaign featuring Nicholas was one of CHEO’s
most successful ever raising $400,000. Pre-Telethon donations, whether
by mail, phone or on-line, generate an excitement and momentum that
are crucial to the success of the broadcast. Each year when Max Keeping
and Wayne Rostad take to the airwaves, Pre-Telethon donors’ names are
scrolled across the bottom of the television screen recognizing supporters
and motivating their neighbours and friends to do the same. “From the
bottom of Nicholas’ fixed heart, we want to thank everyone for making a
big difference for our son,” said Rachel and Mark. A
The Barfoots celebrate every day with Nicholas, but some
days are a bit more special.
Teddy Bear Times
Donor Dollars
Well Spent
P
erhaps one of the toughest aspects of getting up in the
morning is that chill one gets rolling out of bed. Thankfully
for most of us, that chill isn’t going to do any harm.
For some of the infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)
at CHEO, that slight draft could further jeopardize their health.
Babies in NICU stay in various heated environments since they
cannot create their own warmth. “They have to be kept warm. The
slightest chill uses up energy, so the less they are exposed, the better,”
says Judy Rashotte, director of Critical Care Patient Service Unit.
Keeping patients in the protected environment that exists in a
critical care area requires some specialized equipment. That’s where
a portable X-ray machine comes in.
“The portable X-ray is definitely a necessary piece of equipment,”
says Wendy Rabbie, director of diagnostic imaging. “It’s used
multiple times during the day in the intensive care unit (ICU) and
also on wards where children aren’t able to be moved for X-rays.”
One child to benefit from this mobile diagnostic tool is threemonth-old Sarah Boudreau who was admitted to CHEO at the
beginning of January 2001 with heart problems. She was diagnosed
with coarction of the aorta, the narrowing of the main blood vessel in
the body. Her father, Dan Boudreau, was pleased to see that Sarah did
not have to be moved for any of her X-rays.
“Jerome the Giraffe,” CHEO’s newest portable X-ray unit,
helps brighten the day for children in ICU and throughout
the hospital. The machine extends over the patient to take the
X-ray, saving the child the discomfort of being transferred
elsewhere for the procedure.
“I was really surprised and impressed by this
machine,” Boudreau says. “Sarah was already in pain
when we brought her in, so I was pretty happy to see that
she didn’t have to be moved at all.”
Moving a patient for an X-ray is a
challenging and time-consuming
task since the monitoring equipment often must accompany the
child during the transfer. What can
take up to an hour to accomplish is
done in minutes with the portable
unit. Transporting a patient always
has some hazards, such as accidental bumping that could dislodge
any lines or tubes connected to
the patient.
A third portable X-ray unit, decorated as a giraffe, was purchased for
the hospital last year with funds from
the CHEO Foundation.
“Some kids are awake in ICU and
seeing the giraffe on the new
machine makes it a little more
cheery for them instead of seeing a
dull piece of equipment coming
over them,” says Rabbie.
Sarah Boudreau can sleep soundly and stay warm in her bed in CHEO’s neonatal intensive care unit
since her X-rays are taken with the portable unit.
Canada Post Publication Agreement #1836633
A portable X-ray machine so sick
children don’t have to be moved as
often. Sounds like donor dollars
well spent. A
Teddy Bear Times
C J O H Te l e t h o n f o r
7 p . m . t o 1 1 p . m . , S a t u r d a y, J u n e 2
Way to go CHEO supporters!
T
he Children’s Miracle Network (CMN), an international fund-raising organization representing children’s hospitals from all
over North America, announced in August that the CHEO Telethon came second in Phone Income out of 170 hospitals.
“This is an outstanding
accomplishment,” wrote
Mick Shannon, president
and CEO of CMN. CHEO
supporters kept the phones
ringing throughout the
broadcast and pledged
$500,000, significantly more
than larger cities such as
Toronto, Vancouver, New York
and Los Angeles. A
CHEO AIDS patient
Billie-Jo Decarrie shares
a smile with Telethon
co-host Max Keeping
during last year’s Telethon.
Country Cares for Kids on radio
station Y105 (FM 105.3)
T
he third annual Country
Cares for Kids will take to
the air Monday, May 28 and
continue each day from 7 a.m. to
7 p.m. until Friday, June 1. Last
year’s five-day radiothon raised
close to $74,000. Y105 personalities
including Mark Papousek,
Nida Drake, Leanne Cater and
Nancy Stapleton used every
opportunity they could to sing
CHEO’s praises with the help of
some families served by the
Hospital. Matching dollars from
corporate sponsors helped push the
total up. Thanks to the Alan Jackson
concert staged at the Corel Centre
in December, $25,000 has already
been collected towards this
year’s radiothon. A
Today’s Best Country Y105’s morning show hosts Mark Papousek and Nida Drake present a
cheque for more than $73,000 at last year’s CHEO Telethon while fellow corporate sponsors
look on. The money was raised from the radio station’s annual Country Cares for Kids radiothon.
Teddy Bear Times
r CHEO, June 2
&
3
1 0 a . m . t o 7 p . m . , S u n d a y, J u n e 3
2001 Telethon
to feature six
new stories
T
elethon producers and hospital staff are busy working
on several new stories that will air as part of this year’s
broadcast. Telethon viewers will learn more about
CHEO’s exciting Telehealth program and how doctors are
helping children as far away as Pond Inlet, Nunavut.
As always, some of CHEO’s special children will play a lead
role on the broadcast. One such child is Genevieve Vezina who,
since being born premature in 1990, has shown that she’s a true
champion. The great-granddaughter of
one of the original Ottawa Senators,
Frank Finnigan, Genevieve weighed
only 500 grams at birth. Doctors gave
Genevieve very little chance to survive
but in true champion spirit, she’s proved
everyone wrong.
Viewers will also meet seven-year-old
Shawn Laplante from Hawkesbury.
Shawn, who was hit by a car in June, will
show how CHEO has helped him recover
from multiple injuries. A
Genevieve Vezina fought back with true champion spirit.
Wear Your Bear Day,
Friday, June 1
C
HEO Telethon bear wear will be available throughout
the months of March, April and May so loyal
supporters can show they care and wear their bear.
T-shirts, caps, jean shirts, sweats and new beanie bears
will be sold at local Wal-Marts, COSTCOs, in the Hospital
lobby and through the Foundation. Visit our Web site at
www.cheofoundation.com for more information. A
Teddy Bear Times
Endowment funds –
Gifts that keep giving
W
community. Others target endowment funds
to specific areas, such as research, or to
special clinics or units within the hospital.
hen Donald Gaul lost his fight
with AIDS in July 1999, his
family set up an endowment
fund at the CHEO Foundation to honour
his life and his love for kids. In Don’s
memory, the endowment fund will provide
on-going funding to support CHEO’s
HIV Review Fund and assist the work of
medical scientists searching for a cure to
the disease.
Don’s sisters and mother provided the
following information for the terms of
reference for Don’s fund:
Don’s mother and sisters say the
reason they directed their gifts to CHEO
was simple:
Donald Gaul
“Don loved children. He would have loved to be
a father and to have his own children. This is a way
for him to have that wish.”
In establishing The Don Gaul Endowment Fund, Don’s
family used an efficient way to ensure that his legacy will
have a lasting impact on many generations to come. Once
established, an endowment provides funds year after year
to support CHEO’s important work.
The CHEO Foundation can help individuals or their
families establish an endowment fund for a minimum gift
of $5,000, payable through donations of cash, securities,
life insurance, or through a bequest made in a will. It can
be added to at any time, by anyone. The fund can be
established in memory of a loved one or during an
individual’s lifetime to secure funding for CHEO forever.
So, how does an endowment fund keep giving in
perpetuity? Gifts designated to endowment funds bear
interest annually, and only the interest is ever spent. The
capital remains with CHEO, and CHEO ensures that the
fund maintains its market value by returning a portion of
the interest to the capital each year.
People who establish endowment funds can choose how
the funds will be used within the hospital. Many donors
designate their funds to support CHEO’s mandate to
provide the best pediatric healthcare for the children of our
“Don attended college to study transportation and technology in Hamilton, and went
on to work for the Regional Municipality of
Ottawa-Carleton. He gave 100 per cent to
everything he did, whether it was working,
skiing, or teaching the blind to ski. He was a
charismatic, caring, and compassionate man.
Don didn’t think he would live a long life so he
wanted to make the most of it, and that he did.
“He never gave up trying. He never gave up facing
whatever new challenges came his way. He never
gave up his sense of humour or his witty remarks. He
never gave up his pride, his dignity, or his love for all
humankind. He never gave up his polite bedside manner
or his patience. Most of all, he never gave up hope.”
CHEO thanks the many generous
people like Don Gaul and his
family who continue to make
a difference for our children,
today and tomorrow. Your
thoughtfulness will bring
comfort and healing to many
young lives.
If you would like more
information on how to
establish an endowment
fund, or for general
information on planned
giving, please call Fran
Ward, Director of Major
and Planned Gifts,
CHEO Foundation, at
(613) 737-2780. A
Thank you to our
Seasonal Appeal supporters!
T
he CHEO Foundation would like to thank everyone who supported the
Child Life program through this year’s Seasonal Appeal. Here is a sample
of some of the holiday wishes sent to the children at CHEO:
“My wish is that all the children get well and that they have a wonderful
Christmas. God bless.”
“Keep your dreams in your hearts! Merry Christmas and God bless!”
“We wish you the best wish that this Christmas can bring to you and
your family.” A