Where do I begin?

From the moment I walked in the hospital, the vibe was alive. In the elevator up from the parking lot people stopped me and asked if I was on my way to prom. They told me to have a blast - I did!!

I dropped by Marnie’s Lounge where the salon was set up. Patients were getting their hair and makeup done. Oh what fun! I decided to keep my hair straight. I collected some wonderful jewels and accessories to add to my outfit, which were generously donated.

My friend and I could hardly contain our excitement as we primped. When we were ready, we rode the elevator down to the Rotunda. We could hear the beats blasting. The room looked fantastic. The lights were dimmed and the media acted like paparazzi. All the patients and guests were in their fancy clothes. The energy in the room was high.

The theme was “Midnight in Paris” and there was no shortness of French inspired flair. The chocolate fountain was running, the whipped cream was overflowing and the sugar sprinkled croissants were my fav. :)

It's always great when local celebrities come to events like this. It made the night special to have Much Music’s Phoebe Dykstra dancing by our side and Toronto FC’s Logan Emory playing cards with us!

Dancing the night away, many friendships were made. Everyone was there for the same reason - to forget about being sick for a night. Although being a SickKids kid did come up quite a bit throughout the night, everyone was comfortably talking about their illness and openly sharing their stories - it was fantastic!!!!!!

I just want to say a huge thanks to the Child Life department at the hospital and everyone else who helped make this night so great. It wouldn’t be possible without your hard work.

Kaitlyn has been a SickKids patient since birth. Read her pre-prom blog.

The fourth annual prom-inspired After Hours Exclusive Teen Event took place on July 12. The event was first inspired by a teenage girl who missed her prom while undergoing treatment at SickKids. The Child Life team at SickKids turned to Ellen Storfer and her family’s Dream Delivery fund to make the teen event a reality. To learn more about the Dream Delivery Program and how you can help make more dreams come true, visit: www.sickkidsfoundation.com/dreamdelivery/stories.asp

Tonight is the big night! I can’t wait to spend a “Midnight in Paris” for the annual SickKids prom-like event. I’ve got my dress picked out - a beautiful royal blue knee-length dress with a one shoulder strap. I even bought a pair of heels! My hair appointment is booked and I can’t wait to go to the special salon set up at the hospital specifically for the event. I have yet to decide how to do my hair - straight or curly??? Decisions, decisions. I’m not very good at those…probs going to be straight as I curled it last year and, even after two bottles of hair spray and tonnes of bobby pins, it fell out due to fist pumping the night away.

Wow. The patients at the hospital are so lucky to have these types of events thanks to the Child Life specialists who spend countless hours planning this amazing night.

Lucky enough, I’m not currently an inpatient right now but I have been a patient at SickKids since the day I was born. When I was younger, I was diagnosed with VACTERL syndrome. VACTERL is an acronym and stands for birth abnormalities that affects most of my internal organs. It has affected my life a lot, but I have always just believed and lived my life to the max…is there any other way to live?

Being a sick kid has made me miss out on many meaningful life events. I believe this event is wonderful for those who miss their prom. I am only 16, so I still have yet to go to my real high school prom.

I feel very lucky to be part of the SickKids Children’s Council, which means I get invited to this wonderful evening. It is a great opportunity to meet other patients and share my story.

It is hard being a sick kid with so many medical issues so it is awesome to be able to put all that aside for a night and dance to the hot mix and beats of DJ BelloSound. I look forward to the surprise celebrities and all the action surrounding the event. It all makes for an extra special night and creates fond memories that will last a life time. 

It is going to be a blast and I can’t wait to party with all my besties.

The After Hours Exclusive Teen Event was inspired by a teenage girl who missed her prom while undergoing treatment at SickKids. The Child Life team at SickKids turned to Ellen Storfer and her family’s Dream Delivery fund to make the teen event a reality. To learn more about the Dream Delivery Program and how you can help make more dreams come true, please visit www.sickkidsfoundation.com/dreamdelivery/stories.asp.

The Canadian professional men and women volleyball teams are heating up the 18th annual Heatwave Toronto Beach Volleyball Challenge by competing for a spot at the 2012 Olympic Games.

Toronto’s Heather Bansley and Etobicoke’s Liz Maloney will face-off against Marie-Andree Lessard of Ville LaSalle, Que. and Annie Martin of Sherbrooke, Que. Ben Saxton of Calgary and Toronto’s Christian Redmann will take on Toronto’s Josh Binstock and Martin Reader of Comox, B.C. The winning women and men will earn the right to be nominated to the 2012 Canadian Olympic Team.

The two-day annual Heatwave volleyball tournament features co-ed competitive and recreational matches of more than 270 teams in support of SickKids. To date, the event has raised more than $2 million for childhood cancer research at SickKids. This year’s proceeds will support the SickKids Centre for Research and Learning as well as cancer research.

The tournament takes place at Ashbridge’s Bay on July 7 and 8 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Olympic face-offs are on July 7 at 1 p.m. for the women and 3 p.m. for the men. Following the men’s final, the Canadian Olympic Committee and Volleyball Canada will make a formal announcement at 4 p.m. regarding the 2012 Olympic Summer Games in London.

Don’t miss out on a great tournament and the 2012 Canadian Olympic Team nominees.