Malachi has a lot of heart for The Hospital for Sick Children. It’s the place that gave him a new one.

His heart began to fail before he was born. His mother underwent an emergency c-section to keep him alive.

Malachi spent two months on medication at SickKids, but it couldn’t prevent his fragile heart from failing once again. He was admitted to the Critical Care Unit and put on life-saving support. His only hope for survival was a new heart.

Luckily, just two weeks later, a heart became available for transplant. Malachi underwent surgery and began to improve. While he did suffer a minor case of rejection one year later, he’s been in good health ever since.

Today, Malachi is an active five-year-old boy. He loves to swim, play video games and trail his older sisters around. He’s also the face of the new SickKids Lottery.

Thanks to your loyalty and generous support, we are able to make a life-changing impact on the lives of children like Malachi. When you enter the SickKids Lottery, proceeds are used to further the mission of SickKids Foundation and help support The Hospital for Sick Children.

Take advantage of our best ticket pricing* to get the most bang for your buck. Get a pool started with your friends and family and purchase 10 tickets for $500. That’s only $50 per ticket! You’ll be entered to win exciting prizes like trips, cars, electronics and the grand prize of $1,000,000 cash*! Enter before February 18 to qualify for the Early Bonus draw to win a luxury trip.

By purchasing tickets, you’ll help to advance child health research, education and care. Buy your tickets now and make a difference in the lives of children, like Malachi.

To learn more about the Lottery, please visit the website. Watch Malachi’s full story below:

If you are having trouble viewing the video, please visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6ICdh6c1J4

*See Rules and Regulations for details. LL#3537

Chantal Dion, expectant mother to her third child, knows firsthand how debilitating nausea and vomiting during pregnancy (NVP) can be on your body.

Morning sickness affects up to 80 per cent of women at some point during a pregnancy and in certain cases it can be unbearable. Chantal has experienced severe NVP with all three pregnancies. It wasn’t until she was pregnant with her second child that she became aware of safe medications to help combat the symptoms.

The advice was provided by Motherisk, a program at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) that offers research and counselling to help ensure safe medical treatment for women during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.

Chantal was still breastfeeding her second child when she became pregnant with her third. Experts at Motherisk helped her identify a medication for morning sickness that wouldn’t affect her breast milk or cause harm to her unborn baby.

“When I had no one else to turn to, Motherisk is the one place I could get reassurance and reliable information from specialists I could trust,” Chantal says.

Motherisk recently celebrated its 25^th anniversary with a $1.5 million gift from Shoppers Drug Mart. This retailer continued its support today by announcing a partnership with Clarins to present the Kiss for Life campaign, a fundraising initiative to benefit Motherisk.

Beginning today through to February 14, while quantities last, $10 from the purchase of specially marked Clarins Lip Perfector sold exclusively at Shoppers Drug Mart will be donated to Motherisk.

To kick off the campaign this morning at a Toronto Shoppers Drug Mart store, Chantal was joined by hosts of the boom breakfast show on Astral Radio’s boom 97.3, Colleen Rusholme and Humble Howard, as well as representatives from Shoppers Drug Mart, Clarins and SickKids, including Motherisk founder and director Dr. Gideon Koren.

Amanda Martinez, Canadian Latin/jazz artist and mother to two-year-old Leo, purchased the first Clarins Lip Perfector to celebrate the launch.

Chantal is currently in her third year at McMaster University, studying midwifery. She plans on taking time off when the new addition to her family is born this spring.

Q: What are the risks of diabetes during pregnancy? ~ Lily, 25, Canada

Here is the answer from Dr. Jill Hamilton, Staff Endocrinologist in Endocrinology at SickKids, Associate Scientist in Physiology & Experimental Medicine at the SickKids Research Institute and Associate Professor in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Toronto.

A: “About 1 to 3 per cent of pregnant women develop diabetes during pregnancy. This is also known as “gestational diabetes”. Most women with gestational diabetes develop it because they cannot produce enough insulin, a hormone important for blood sugar control. High blood sugar levels can be unhealthy for both mom and the baby. If the diabetes isn't treated, the baby may be more likely to have certain problems at birth. For example, the baby may have a low blood sugar level, low calcium level, jaundice, or may weigh much more than normal.

Gestational diabetes can also affect the mother’s health.  If the baby is very large, there is a greater chance of having a difficult delivery or needing a cesarean section (C-section). Gestational diabetes also increases mom’s risk of developing preeclampsia (high blood pressure, swelling and protein in the urine).

Fortunately, the risk of complications during pregnancy can be reduced by controlling the level of sugar in the blood. This is done by following a diet suggested by the doctor or dietitian, exercise regularly and checking blood sugars at home with a small device called a glucometer. Sometimes medicine, such as insulin, is needed to control the blood sugar level.

After delivery, gestational diabetes usually disappears, however, women who have gestational diabetes are at greater risk for diabetes with future pregnancies and for type 2 diabetes later in life.  Babies who are born to mothers with gestational diabetes may be at increased risk for obesity and diabetes as they get older.”

The scientists at SickKids are experts in most areas of health and life science. They spend their days asking tough questions and searching out the answers. Now it is your turn to ask them the tough questions.

Have you ever had a burning question about your body or about your health and didn’t know how to find the answer? This might just be the opportunity to get to the bottom of it!

You have the chance to submit your question and it will be answered by a scientist who specializes in that area. The best questions and answers will be featured on the Research Institute website: http://www.sickkids.ca/research.

Check the website often to see if your question gets posted. You can learn about what others want to know and if you read enough answers, you may even become a health expert yourself!