Tanika Jacobs – click here for more information
Tanika Jacobs has Type1 diabetes. At age 8, she suffered ketone acidosis & her body went to septic shock. Due to her failing lungs, she had to endure a leg amputation & double-lung transplant. At age 11, her lung capacity fell to 25% and she required a second double-lung transplant. Now, at age 15 Tanika has a tracheostomy, is on a ventilator 24/7, is trach and vent dependent. She is currently on a wait-list for third double-lung transplant. Tanika enjoys art, has home instruction, attends Axis Youth and is under her mother’s full-time care
George Hermis – click here for more information
George Hermis is a 13-year-old student at St. Patrick’s and is the youngest of 5. George suffers from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, which is an aggressive variant of the disease that can affect one’s quality of life. He is no longer able to walk on his own and requires a wheelchair for regular mobility. Unfortunately, George’s condition continues to intensify, impacting his overall mobility & basic function. For this reason, he could greatly benefit from a powered chair lift at his home for basic everyday needs.
Emily Heaslip – click here for more information
Emily Heaslip from Hagersville is a happy 5-year-old girl who was diagnosed with Treacher Collins Syndrome, a condition that impacted the development of her bones and tissue in her face. Due to her condition, Emily needed several surgeries and requires a tracheostomy tube, a feeding tube, and a hearing aid. Emily is partially deaf and could benefit from a new hearing aid as well as a special device that helps her communicate and express herself.
Maeve Fields – click here for more information
Maeve Field is a 5-year-old girl who suffered life altering injuries after she was struck by a car in March 2019. Maeve’s left arm & right leg suffered irreparable damage & were amputated. Her left eye and a section of her jaw were also severely damaged unfortunately. All of these major injuries have resulted in medical procedures such as plastic surgeries, skin grafts, bone grafts, treatment for a deadly Mucor fungus, multiple jaw and dental surgeries, periodontal (gum) surgery and related transplants, much of which will continue indefinitely. Basic prostheses for mobility & related medical treatments are only partially covered. Ian, her father turned down a job & has not worked since the accident so he could be Maeve’s full-time caregiver & support person.
Zoey Gilbertson – click here for more information
Zoey Gilbertson from Hagersville is a 1-year old little girl who suffers from a rare condition called Eosinophilic Gastro-intestinal Disease (EGID). This is a very painful and destructive disease. Zoey is on strong steroids & must be fed by feeding tube indefinitely. As there is no treatment for EGID in Canada, so she requires treatment at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, at a cost of $60,000 which is not covered by our OHIP. Unfortunately, Zoey’s 3-year-old brother is now also being tested for EGID and Zoey’s parents, Tyler & Rebecca, are very concerned for the well-being of their young family.
Cayuga Autistic Children’s Program – click here for more information
The Cayuga Autistic Children’s Program provides classes for special children diagnosed with autism. The parents and program providers at Mitchener School require some specialized equipment for their class, which lacks provincial or county funding.
Tanika Jacobs – click here for more information
Assistance with ongoing medical treatments. Still battling to stabilize her diabetes. Recovering from a double lung transplant. Attempting to return back to her life prior to the medical emergency.
Tucker Haggith – click here for more information
Tucker Haggith (Taco) was born locally in March of 2017 and within hours was diagnosed with Hirschsprung disease. This is a very rare condition that affects the bowels ganglion cells. Shortly after being diagnosed, Tucker ended up developing life-threatening Enterocolitis 3 times over the course of 2 months and required an Ileostomy and had to be hospitalized. Tucker was taken to Nationwide Hospital in Columbus Ohio for a major surgery followed by extensive treatments and therapy. Unfortunately, Tucker’s family had to pay for most of the medical & travel expenses out of pocket, with little to no support.
Malachi VanWoudenberg & Family – click here for more information
On November 9, 2016, 12:59 pm, Malachi John was born weighing 1 lb 14 oz. Malachi was born at 25 weeks and 2 days. Malachi and his siblings were whisked away by a team of doctors and healthcare professionals. They were all intubated and put on breathing support and put on special IVs through their umbilical cords. Many monitors and probes were attached to their tiny bodies to monitor different things like heart rates, temperatures, oxygen levels, etc. They were then taken to the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit).
As for the more medical and technical aspects of Malachi’s breathing support… he is still on higher settings than when he came home because of his cold. We hope to visit his pediatrician and complex care team this week to get some bloodwork to assess his blood gases (CO2 in the blood, etc.) and hopefully be able to turn down the amount of support he is getting by a very small amount. We know it will take a long time to slowly wean off of the breathing support (likely multiple years), so we are struggling to stay patient and thankful for the tiny steps we do get to take.
Sarah Makkai – click here for more information
Sarah Makkai is a three-year-old resident of Caledonia battling Cystic Fibrosis. Sarah could use some much needed medical equipment to assist with her daily treatments required for her condition, which is on top of the lengthy regiment of medications and medical procedures that she currently is on.
Charlotte Povrzenich – click here for more information
Charlotte Povrzenich is a resident of Caledonia battling a rare congenital bowel disease. Charlotte has been in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at McMaster Children’s Hospital since birth, has endured abdominal surgery and has encountered recent medical emergencies, making her medically fragile. Charlotte will require her room be equipped with the necessary appliances and medical equipment to address her condition, once she is finally released from the NICU, and allowed to go home.
Sydney Tong – click here for more information
Sydney is Global Developmental Delayed, which means she has severe physical and mental challenges. As a result, she is unable to talk, cofined to a wheelchair and requires a special bed which costs over $4000 dollars. Finally, Sydney requires constant care and as a result, has never been able to enjoy a summer camp experience.