Reasons to Believe

 Conjoined twins Tinashe and Tinotenda Mufuka  

The Hospital for Sick Children remains one of the only facilities offering medical expertise – and financial assistance – to international patients and their families through the Herbie Fund. Solely established to meet the medical needs of children lacking access to specialized medical care in their native countries, the Herbie Fund supporting SickKids International Patient Program has been an endless source of relief to many families abroad.

According to Kamla Sharma, the director of SickKids International Patient Department, the fund positively impacts the lives of children, covering the operational expenses associated with surgeries, ward stays, clinic visits and diagnostic tests. In support of the humanitarian fund, SickKids doctors also waive their fees for acute surgical repair and long-term care, while local community organizations support visitors’ non-medical needs, such as airline tickets and overall living expenses.

“Families are very grateful to the hospital and continually express their gratitude to generous Canadians who support the Herbie Fund. We often receive thank you cards from them once they return home,” Sharma said.

Since its inception in 1979, the Herbie Fund has helped more than 500 children in need of life-saving or life-altering surgeries at SickKids. These included Tinashe and Tinotenda Mufuka, twin boys from Zimbabwe who were once joined at the abdomen and shared a liver, and six-year-old Shanna Baccus from Jamaica, who once lived with a severe heart defect before undergoing a cardiac operation at the hospital.

Today, an increasing number of families look to the Herbie Fund to help provide treatment unavailable in their homeland. On average, 25 children from various countries now receive specialized medical and surgical assistance here each year.

The number of children cared for at the hospital is contingent on the amount of money donated. Depending on the type of treatment involved, the average cost per patient is between $25,000 and $30,000 – sometimes higher for complex cases. However, many communitybased organizations, individual donations, bequests and fundraising initiatives continue to enable the Herbie Fund to meet children’s ever-increasing need. A group of dedicated volunteers, known as Operation Herbie, also raise money for this allimportant
fund through a variety of annual events, such as the Mistletoe Ball, the Molson Indy Black & White Gala Dinner, the Golf Tournament at Glen Abbey and the Valentine’s Dinner, as well as children’s theatre activities.

With their help, SickKids Foundation was able to grant more than $1.6 million towards the fund in 2005, to support the separation of the Zimbabwe twins and complex cardiac cases. Sharma said: “SickKids – from day one – has always been a very humanitarian organization on the global stage. And the Foundation has been phenomenally supportive of the International Patient Program’s goals.”

If you know of any child who requires medical attention outside Canada and may benefit from Operation Herbie’s assistance, please direct your application inquiries to Cindy Fiore, The Hospital for Sick Children International Patient Program, cindy.fiore@sickkids.ca.

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Kids Believe in SickKids Awards

  Award winner Sydney White

As part of our campaign to support the spirit of giving among youth, SickKids Foundation recently honoured more than 100 young philanthropists in the inaugural Kids Believe in SickKids Awards.

Emceed by television personality, Erica Ehm, and SickKids patients Nicole Wolff and Wesley Payne, the Nov. 20 awards at the hospital’s Garden Terrace featured a myriad of child-friendly delights and a video of fundraisers’ inspirational stories.Trophies were also distributed to winners in four categories: 18-year-olds Anthony Mascarin and Justin Bonfini, who held a community rock concert; St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Secondary School students, who organized a fashion show; 13-year-old Cole Rodness, who requested donations to SickKids in lieu of Bar Mitzvah gifts; and nine-year-old Sydney White, who helped raise donations through bracelet sales and piggy bank donations.

“Regardless of the size of the donation, these extraordinary children all deserve to be celebrated,” said Paula Roberts, vice president of Strategic Communications at the Foundation.“As a philanthropic leader and an advocate of children’s physical, mental and emotional well being, we think it’s important to foster empathy in children and to teach them the importance of giving to others.” Launched in 2005, Kids Believe in SickKids supports adolescents and youths wanting to get involved in fundraising activities for the hospital.

Through this exciting program, children play a part in the treatment and recovery process of thousands of their peers with injuries and illnesses. Self-esteem, confidence, goal planning and teamwork are just some of the valuable skills they gain from participation in the Kids Believe in SickKids program.

Also announced during the awards were results from the recent SickKids Spirit of Giving survey conducted by Decima Research. The poll found that four out of five Canadian parents pass on the so-called ‘giving gene,’ encouraging their sons and daughters to donate to a charity and simply give back to others. Roughly 89 per cent of all respondents placed a high priority on teaching philanthropy to their children.

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  Anthony & Justin

Click to watch the amazing stories of young leaders who have made a difference in the lives of other children by raising money for SickKids.

These kids raised money through a rock concert, bracelet sales, tribute donations and even a fashion show!

Click here to share the videos with your friends!

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 Gabrielle, 2
 Necrotizing Fasciitis

Shortly after Gabrielle was born, her grandmother discovered blood under her head. Gabrielle’s parents rushed her to the hospital, and she was diagnosed with a Strep A infection under her skin. The infection had been transferred from her mother’s womb.

Gabrielle was transferred to SickKids Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and was diagnosed with Necrotizing Fasciitis, more commonly known as flesh-eating disease, and Necrotizing Enterocolitis.  The Strep A bacteria had eaten away the back of her small head and two thirds of her small intestine. Gabrielle lost 90 per cent of her skin on her scalp and 40 per cent of her bowel.

Gabrielle was in the NICU for 7 1/2 months, in General Surgery (5B) for four months, and in and out of SickKids several times due to viruses and infections.  In her short life, she has endured multiple skin allografts (from donor skin) and autografts (from her own skin), surgical repairs of her small intestine, a jejunostomy (a feeding tube put into the small intestine), and a g-tube (another feeding tube), and additional medical procedures to address reflux. 

After 315 days, Gabrielle finally left the hospital which had been her home. Gabrielle started eating regular meals and drinking water shortly after being discharged in March 2005. Within six months of leaving SickKids, she was weaned off of all but two of her medications.

Gabrielle loves spending time with her cousins and her dog, Chester. She also loves attending daycare twice a week where she has learned to sing “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”. Last month, Gabrielle underwent an additional surgery to replace lost skin on her scalp.

HOW CAN YOU HELP? Thousands of children like Gabrielle need your support.

Read about other kids like Gabrielle at www.sickkidsfoundation.com.

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Do you have a SickKids story? Were you a patient at SickKids? Do you have a child, family member or friend who is or was a SickKids patient? Please share your story with us.

We are always looking for new stories to use on our website, in newsletters like this one and in our other print materials. We would love to hear your story!

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T'is the Season ... To Believe - December 1 - 24, 2006
During the month of December, Graziella Fine Jewellery will donate $5 from every purchase of $100 or more. Please join us at Graziella Fine Jewellery to raise money and awareness for SickKids Fountadtion. http://www.graziellafinejewellery.com

Tree of Hope - December 1, 2006 - January 5, 2007
Hilton Toronto and Lindt & Sprungli have launched the Tree of Hope at the downtown Toronto Hilton Hotel. The fundraising program will run between December 1 and January 6th for patrons of the Hilton Hotel. Donations can be made in the hotel through rounding up hotel bills, purchasing limited edition Lindt tree ornaments and making a donation at the holiday desk in the lobby. http://www.hilton.com

Amplified Music, Play it Up - December 13, 2006
Come experience the music of David Swain as he holds his solo debut of his own works on the organ. This 2 hour concert is being held at the Metropolitan United Church at 56 Queen Street East in Toronto.

Night of Miracles December 24, 2006
Please watch our special 'Night of Miracles' broadcast on Sunday, Dec. 24th, from 2pm to 4pm airing nationally on CTV. It's a behind the scenes look at The Hospital for Sick Children and the amazing staff and children who make it so special.

3rd Annual Brandan's Eye Research Fund Gala - Jan. 20, 2007
This exciting event supports eye research at SickKids and features guest emcee, Michael Landsberg, a live performance by Disco Inferno, a 5 course dinner, live and silent auctions, door prizes, balloon bust and more. The gala will be held at the Venetian, 219 Romina Drive in Concord. Tickets to attend are $110 each or a table of 10 for $1,000. For tickets or more information visit http://www.brandanseyeresearchfund.ca

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