We won the lottery! The Grand Prize? Remission! Our oncologist just told us our five-year-old son Hugh is in remission. We are very optimistic and excited.

On May 1, 2011, my husband and I visited the Emergency Room at SickKids because Hugh was having headaches and was vomiting. A CT scan showed Hugh had a mass in his brain. He was immediately admitted to the Intensive Care Unit due to the extreme pressure on his brain. Their first concern was to prevent Hugh from losing his sight.

We later found out the mass was an extremely aggressive form of brain cancer. At first, our neurosurgeon thought it was far too dangerous to operate. The tumour was located near the centre of Hugh’s brain. Surgery may have caused a lot of damage just trying to get to the site of the tumour. We learned the procedure was Hugh’s only chance for survival, so our neurosurgeon decided to proceed.

We have been through a difficult journey, which began with three brain surgeries. The third was the six-hour surgery to remove as much of the brain tumour as possible. Next, Hugh was treated with 33 radiation sessions. After radiation we began 10 months of chemotherapy. We are currently in the middle of cycle seven - only three to go!

Hugh loves animals. Alas, as much as we want to we cannot introduce an animal into the house during chemotherapy, so we promised Hugh that at the end of treatment, we will get him a hamster. He is very excited - so much so that he has already named his prospective hamster “Hammy”. We found him in his bedroom this morning opening and closing the cage door to his new, and as of yet, uninhabited hamster cage. He said he was practicing for when he had Hammy.

We are thankful every day for what SickKids has done.

We thank all of you who purchase Lottery tickets. Without you, we wouldn’t have won our Grand Prize: REMISSION!

~ Kate (Mom) & Dave (Dad)

Hugh is the face of the Dreams & Discoveries Winter Lottery. To purchase tickets, please visit sickkidslottery.ca. LL# 4485

Winter was 15-year-old Jordan Fawcett’s favourite season. Every year, Jordan couldn’t wait to hit the slopes and participate in her favourite sport – skiing. She was an avid skier whose talent led her to compete for her high school at OFSAA in 2009. Tragically, Jordan’s life was cut short by Sudden, Unexpected and Unexplained Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) on November 2, 2010.

“Jordan passed away only a year after she was diagnosed with epilepsy, and was considered extremely low risk for SUDEP,” said Jordan’s mother, Deb Fawcett. “SUDEP is still relatively unknown, so it’s very difficult to get funding for research. Our goal is to raise awareness and funds for SUDEP to help other families and kids like Jordan.”

On Friday, February 24, Deb and her husband Dave are hosting a ski event called Jordan’s Slide for SUDEP at the Beaver Valley Ski Club in Markdale in memory of their daughter. The event features skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing, a buffet lunch, indoor activities, a silent auction, and an après ski social with a live band. Former Olympic and World Cup champion Todd Brooker will also be hosting a slalom race in memory of Jordan. Each ticket includes a lift pass, buffet lunch, t-shirt, and a donation to support SUDEP awareness and education work at The Hospital for Sick Children.

SUDEP occurs most often during sleep and there is no known cause. Lack of awareness makes it difficult to determine how many deaths occur as a result of SUDEP. Dr. Elizabeth Donner, a paediatric neurologist at SickKids, will be at the event to speak about epilepsy and explain our current understanding of SUDEP. Donner is a founder of SUDEP Aware, a Toronto-based organization that works to increase awareness and understanding of SUDEP.

“We are proud to celebrate and commemorate Jordan’s life through this event,” Deb said. “Jordan was always helping people, and we want to continue her legacy by helping other kids and families.”

To learn more about Jordan’s Slide for SUDEP, or to make a donation, please visit: www.sudepaware.org.

Olivia became a patient at SickKids before she was even born.

Thanks to advanced imaging technology, cardiologists at SickKids knew Olivia would need immediate medical attention after birth. She had two open-heart surgeries before she celebrated her first birthday to help correct a condition called hypoplastic left heart syndrome. She will need one additional surgery in 2013, to repair her underdeveloped heart.

SickKids specialists perform 85 per cent of all paediatric cardiovascular surgery in Ontario. They see the sickest children, like Olivia, with the most complex childhood congenital and acquired heart diseases.

In celebration of heart month and the lifesaving work SickKids performs at its Labatt Family Heart Centre, why not help children like Olivia by considering SickKids Get Better Gifts for your loved ones this Valentine’s Day.

Get Better Gifts are a symbolic alternative to gift giving and a meaningful way to honour friends and loved ones while simultaneously supporting the critical work being done at SickKids. You can provide the gift of Valentine’s Day Crafts Supplies ($20), 30 Days on a Heart Saturation Monitor ($40) or a Stethoscope ($120). There are plenty of items to choose from and, with each gift you give, you will have the opportunity to send a personalized message.

This year, choose a thoughtful and unique way to warm the heart of your valentine with a SickKids Get Better Gift.