Imagine being told your child has a 30 per cent chance of survival?
That’s the reality parents Katherine and David faced when doctors at The Hospital for Sick Children diagnosed their son Hugh with a rare, cancerous brain tumour.
The following weeks after Hugh’s diagnosis were a whirlwind of tests and procedures, including a five-hour surgery where 98 per cent of his brain tumour was removed. The surgery was followed by radiation to “clean up” the remainder of the cancer.
Today, Hugh, 5, comes to SickKids monthly for chemotherapy and checkups. He started senior kindergarten in the fall and enjoys playing with his friends.
His mom couldn’t be happier. “All he ever longed for in Hospital was to go back to being a kid,” she said. “SickKids gave that to him.”
Childhood is a unique and special stage of life. And while most children get through their childhood with nothing more than a minor illness, for those children with more serious conditions, like Hugh’s, there is SickKids.
Help support the critical work of SickKids and brave patients like Hugh by purchasing your tickets in the Dreams & Discoveries Winter Lottery. It’s your chance to win our Grand Prize of $1.5 million cash,* one of seven Dream Pack Prizes, as well as cars, trips and thousands of other prizes.
Most importantly, your lottery ticket purchase will continue to make a difference for sick children in Canada and around the world.
Visit the SickKids Lottery website for more information and to watch Hugh’s video.
*See rules and regulations at www.sickkidslottery.ca. LL#4485
This Saturday, lights at The Hospital for Sick Children and SickKids Foundation will be turned off or dimmed to show support for the fifth annual Earth Hour. Emergency lighting will still be used for the safety and security of patients, visitors and staff.
During the hour, which lasts from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m., buildings and homes in thousands of cities worldwide will “unplug” to raise awareness of climate change and the need to conserve energy. Since its inception in 2007, the Earth Hour movement has spanned 128 countries and inspired millions of supporters.
During last year’s Earth Hour, SickKids saved 64 kilowatt hours of energy in the Atrium and 146 kilowatt hours in the Annex. The Hospital expects to see similar energy savings this year.
While Earth Hour traditionally lasts 60 minutes, the focus of this year’s campaign is going “beyond the hour” and implementing green practices into everyday life.
At SickKids Foundation, we believe that working together to create a healthy environment will benefit children everywhere for generations to come. This belief has motivated SickKids and the Foundation to design and build our new Research & Learning Tower to achieve LEED Gold standards for environmental sustainability. Once the tower is built, SickKids staff will go beyond LEED by implementing green practices inside the building.