Take a journey behind the scenes at The Hospital for Sick Children and meet some of the smallest, bravest heroes on the CTV broadcast, SickKids: Believing in Heroes. Tune in to CTV on Sunday, January 9, 2011 from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m., for a two-hour special that showcases inspiration and heroism. It will take you through the stories of five, courageous young SickKids patients and their families as they face childhood illness.
You will meet children like Lilah, who was born with cancer. Doctors discovered Lilah’s cancer shortly after she was born in the form of a golf-ball sized tumour. Lilah underwent an operation and multiple bouts of chemotherapy. Five years after her treatment was complete, Lilah could call herself cancer-free.
Meet Lilah and her parents in the video below:
If you are having trouble viewing the video, please visit: http://www.youtube.com/sickkidsfoundation#p/u/3/n96h0TC1beU
Believed to be the single largest private gift to paediatric cancer in North America, a $30-million gift to The Hospital for Sick Children was inspired by one boy’s journey with cancer.
Michael Garron’s illness went undetected for months. It took the form of a small lump on his hand looking more like a cyst than a deadly disease. When the lump grew larger, Michael saw a specialist in Montego Bay, Jamaica, where his father was stationed with the Bank of Nova Scotia.
Test results were grim. Michael’s specialist recommended the Garrons return home to Ontario, Canada, to seek the advice of John Hall, a specialist at SickKids. Dr. Hall diagnosed Michael with a rare soft tissue cancer, synovial sarcoma.
Just shy of his sixth birthday, Michael had his middle finger removed to stop the spread of cancer. His lower arm came next and Michael began to withdraw from his friends and family. His parent sought the help of Sol Goldstein, a psychiatrist at SickKids.
Dr. Goldstein worked with Michael to help guide him through the next few years of his life. Sadly, Michael lost his battle with cancer at the age of 13.
Myron and Berna Garron know first-hand the struggle parents must face when their child is stricken with cancer. That’s why on October 25, 2010, at a celebration at SickKids, they announced a transformative gift of $30 million to establish The Garron Family Cancer Centre. They hope their gift will allow the Hospital to help more children survive their cancer diagnosis.
Michael’s psychiatrist, Dr. Goldstein, went on to write a book in 1986 on Michael’s journey with cancer. He named it Michael’s Ship: The True Story of a Young Boy’s Struggle to Live. An excerpt from Dr. Goldstein’s book reads: “Our memories of Michael exist not to haunt us, but to help us – to show the true value of life and how it should be lived.”
Learn more about the transformational gift from the Garron family.
SickKids patient ambassador Madison Scott, 13, was honoured as the 2010 Champion Child presented by Walmart Canada on Tuesday.
The ceremony took place at her elementary school in Brooklin, ON, and included a special $1,000 Walmart gift card presented to Madison. The celebration was shared with her teachers and Grade 8 classmates, many of whom witness to Madison’s battle with cancer.
In the fall of 2007, Madison was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Lymphoma (ALL), the most common childhood cancer. She completed her last chemotherapy treatment in January at The Hospital for Sick Children. Madison is an active fundraiser for SickKids Foundation and has raised more than $30,000 for the Hospital. This feat, combined with her charisma, personality and positive attitude, makes Madison a well deserving Champion.
As Champion, she will travel to Ottawa and Walt Disney World in November along with 11 other Champion children from Children’s Miracle Network hospital foundations across Canada. For the next year, she will be the SickKids spokesperson for Walmart’s fundraising initiatives for Children’s Miracle Network including the Walmart Walk for Miracles in the spring. Congratulations Madison!