Former heart patient thriving thanks to SickKids
Kayaking with her dad in Antarctica. Trips to Malaysia and Singapore. Checking off five continents visited. Teaching English in Japan for four and a half years.This is just a small portion of the many adventures Alison has had the opportunity to be a part of in her thirty years of life. Life experiences that, according to Alison, “are all thanks to SickKids.”
Diagnosed with a heart murmur at six months of age, and atrial septal defect at 18 months, Alison underwent corrective surgery at SickKids when she was five years old. The surgery itself was uneventful, but on a family vacation in the US shortly after, Alison had some significant complications, including a collapsed lung. Alison returned home to Canada and was immediately readmitted to SickKids for treatment.
“SickKids has truly made a difference in my life.”
Today, the family considers Alison’s heart to be a “non-issue.”
“I am so thankful my condition was caught early and I was able to get the treatment I needed so that I could grow up and have a normal life,” said Alison. “Back then, if I didn’t have the surgery when I did, I may not have even survived, much less reached my thirties and been able to travel the world and be so physically active.”
Travelling the world is something Alison has embraced throughout the years, and it is often her father who is by her side on her adventures.
“My dad and I both have a love of travel,” said Alison. “We usually end up travelling together because we have similar interests and similar travel styles, which makes it easy to head out on adventures with him.”
Their most recent adventure together included walking on glaciers, drinking 400 year old glacier water, kayaking and seeing hundreds of penguins as they traveled Antarctica. Not only was it a memorable trip for the duo, but it also completed one of Brian’s bucket list items: to visit all seven continents.
“It was amazing to be there with him as he achieved his seventh continent visited,” said Alison. “I hope to be able to accomplish that one day as well.”
Grateful for the opportunity to watch their daughter grow and thrive in life, Brian and his wife, Sandy, are proud supporters of SickKids, and more specifically, the Labatt Family Heart Centre.
“SickKids has truly made a difference in my life,” said Alison. “When I was younger, I just wanted to be the same physically as everyone else around me. I wanted to be able to keep up with my friends. Today, that heart surgery means no limitations. It means getting the chance to have some amazing life experiences.”
The Labatt Family Heart Centre, as well as the Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, were established in 2007 thanks to a $30 million gift from Arthur and Sonia Labatt. On May 25, SickKids will celebrate the 10th anniversary of this generous gift as well as the transformational outcomes their philanthropy has enabled.
