The birth of a child is often one of the most magical moments in life for any parent. For parents Kari and Declan, it was one of the most terrifying. Their newborn girl, Marlowe, had suffered a stroke at birth.

Baby Marlowe was delivered by emergency C-section, but after having some “spells” and turning blue in colour her first night, she was rushed to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at SickKids. It was here where SickKids doctors broke the news to Marlowe’s parents, with an MRI indicating that the stroke caused extensive, permanent brain damage.

While the news was devastating, it was also a moment of hope. Marlowe’s doctors told her parents to have faith as babies tend to have a remarkable resilience and that their brains rewire in incredible ways.

They were right.

Now two years old, Marlowe is hitting her cognitive developmental milestones - the physiotherapy and occupational therapy of the stroke program at SickKids helping her every step of the way.

While Marlowe and her family have already stopped by the Atrium at The Hospital for Sick Children to share their story for SickKids Radiothon, for those that missed it, we were fortunate to capture this magic account on video in advance:

Please tune in to Newstalk 1010, boom 97.3 and 99.9 Virgin Radio to hear other inspiring SickKids stories. You can also show your support and help kids like Marlowe by donating online or calling 1-877-798-KIDS (5437).

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