When you become a mom, your life changes in a million different ways. Becoming a mom is a blessing and a miracle. It's also challenging, rewarding, thrilling, and, sometimes, downright heartbreaking. As a mom, I love helping children who really need help, and the one place I always donate to is the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario.
I am honored to be part of the Miracle Moms Network. The Children’s Miracle Network has teamed up with the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) and has two goals: to help children by raisings funds for children's hospitals, and to keep funds in the community.
Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals provide treatment and hope to millions of sick kids each year, in 170 hospitals in Canada and in the United States.
I have my own donation page, and I'd love it if you could please click the link and donate whatever you can, knowing that you're helping the precious, incredible, strong, and brave young children that are treated in CHEO every single day.
On a personal level, I have experienced having a sick child in the hospital. When my oldest son was 12 weeks old, he had a high fever and was rushed to CHEO, where he was admitted, and stayed for 14 days. I endured seeing him in pain, get daily blood tests, IV's, catheters, x-rays and ultrasounds. He was incredibly strong through it all. He had a kidney infection because of a condition called hydronephrosis, a fairly common condition most children outgrow by the time they're three years old. My son outgrew this condition, but was back in CHEO for five days with another infection when he was six months old. It was during these stays that I realized how lucky we are to have such an amazing children's hospital so close to home, where children receive the best care from nurses and doctors every day.
We were back in CHEO when my son was three years old. He had a severe case of pneumonia. Two weeks in the hospital, IV's, oxygen masks, blood work, and even more bad news... surgery, to drain fluid from his lung. I never thought I'd live through seeing my son being wheeled away to surgery. I don't know how I survived that day, but somehow, we made it through. After the surgery my son had a chest tube in him for four days. To say this was the biggest nightmare of our lives is an understatement, but again, every day I count my blessings, as again I was face-to-face with other children who were very sick and in CHEO for a much longer time. I was thankful for the care, love and attention we received from the staff at CHEO. My son made a full recovery, and is a perfectly healthy, incredibly smart, six year old.
This experience made me aware of how important it is to do everything in our power to help sick children. It hurts my heart that so many children get sick and to think that we can help make a difference? How could we not? I know what it is like to have a sick child in the hospital, and I know how helpless the situation can feel. We have the power to make a difference.
I spoke with another CHEO mom a few days ago, a mom who shared her personal story with me. Jennifer was a mom to a perfectly healthy three year old, Hunter. Hunter had a bad virus when he was three years old and he wasn't getting better. He was put on antibiotics, and Hunter and his parents went out for dinner because he was finally feeling better. He was promised a trip to Mrs. Tiggy Winkle's after dinner, a favourite toy store of his, but on the way, he told his mom he wasn't feeling well. He was pale, and his fingers were blue. The visit to the toy store turned into an emergency visit to CHEO, where he was admitted. Doctors discovered he had a heart condition and required a pacemaker, which was put in two weeks later. Needless to say, Jennifer was completely shocked with the news that her little boy was suddenly needing heart surgery. It was a lot to suddenly accept and deal with. Hunter is now a healthy nine year old, who has frequent visits to CHEO to make sure all is well with his pacemaker.
During the time that Hunter's heart problems were detected, doctors also discovered Jennifer had an unknown heart condition, and the twins she was carrying were likely to have a heart a condition as well.
Hunter's siblings were born prematurely, with heart conditions, and spent several weeks in CHEO. The twins have not needed surgery, and are monitored at home. They are, for the most part, healthy. Jennifer considers herself very lucky to have CHEO so close to home. "I feel immensely happy and in huge gratitude to the people who every day save the lives of children."
Of course this is just one of many stories about the children who go through the doors of CHEO. I would love it if you could support me and the hospital that helped save my son's life.
Please click here and help. I would be so very thankful!
Disclaimer: I am participating in the #MiracleMoms campaign and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.
I am honored to be part of the Miracle Moms Network. The Children’s Miracle Network has teamed up with the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) and has two goals: to help children by raisings funds for children's hospitals, and to keep funds in the community.
Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals provide treatment and hope to millions of sick kids each year, in 170 hospitals in Canada and in the United States.
I have my own donation page, and I'd love it if you could please click the link and donate whatever you can, knowing that you're helping the precious, incredible, strong, and brave young children that are treated in CHEO every single day.
On a personal level, I have experienced having a sick child in the hospital. When my oldest son was 12 weeks old, he had a high fever and was rushed to CHEO, where he was admitted, and stayed for 14 days. I endured seeing him in pain, get daily blood tests, IV's, catheters, x-rays and ultrasounds. He was incredibly strong through it all. He had a kidney infection because of a condition called hydronephrosis, a fairly common condition most children outgrow by the time they're three years old. My son outgrew this condition, but was back in CHEO for five days with another infection when he was six months old. It was during these stays that I realized how lucky we are to have such an amazing children's hospital so close to home, where children receive the best care from nurses and doctors every day.
We were back in CHEO when my son was three years old. He had a severe case of pneumonia. Two weeks in the hospital, IV's, oxygen masks, blood work, and even more bad news... surgery, to drain fluid from his lung. I never thought I'd live through seeing my son being wheeled away to surgery. I don't know how I survived that day, but somehow, we made it through. After the surgery my son had a chest tube in him for four days. To say this was the biggest nightmare of our lives is an understatement, but again, every day I count my blessings, as again I was face-to-face with other children who were very sick and in CHEO for a much longer time. I was thankful for the care, love and attention we received from the staff at CHEO. My son made a full recovery, and is a perfectly healthy, incredibly smart, six year old.
This experience made me aware of how important it is to do everything in our power to help sick children. It hurts my heart that so many children get sick and to think that we can help make a difference? How could we not? I know what it is like to have a sick child in the hospital, and I know how helpless the situation can feel. We have the power to make a difference.
I spoke with another CHEO mom a few days ago, a mom who shared her personal story with me. Jennifer was a mom to a perfectly healthy three year old, Hunter. Hunter had a bad virus when he was three years old and he wasn't getting better. He was put on antibiotics, and Hunter and his parents went out for dinner because he was finally feeling better. He was promised a trip to Mrs. Tiggy Winkle's after dinner, a favourite toy store of his, but on the way, he told his mom he wasn't feeling well. He was pale, and his fingers were blue. The visit to the toy store turned into an emergency visit to CHEO, where he was admitted. Doctors discovered he had a heart condition and required a pacemaker, which was put in two weeks later. Needless to say, Jennifer was completely shocked with the news that her little boy was suddenly needing heart surgery. It was a lot to suddenly accept and deal with. Hunter is now a healthy nine year old, who has frequent visits to CHEO to make sure all is well with his pacemaker.
During the time that Hunter's heart problems were detected, doctors also discovered Jennifer had an unknown heart condition, and the twins she was carrying were likely to have a heart a condition as well.
Hunter's siblings were born prematurely, with heart conditions, and spent several weeks in CHEO. The twins have not needed surgery, and are monitored at home. They are, for the most part, healthy. Jennifer considers herself very lucky to have CHEO so close to home. "I feel immensely happy and in huge gratitude to the people who every day save the lives of children."
Of course this is just one of many stories about the children who go through the doors of CHEO. I would love it if you could support me and the hospital that helped save my son's life.
Please click here and help. I would be so very thankful!
Disclaimer: I am participating in the #MiracleMoms campaign and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.
Comments
You're right. We're extremely lucky to have CHEO. (I had surgery there and was a patient for a week waaaay back when I was a kid...)
xoxo
And Hunter is a perfect example of how life can change in the blink of an eye. Without our amazing Children's Hospitals, kids like Hunter would have VERY different outcomes.
Best of luck with your #MiracleMoms goal:)