Because of you, patients in Niagara have access to life-saving equipment, and families can be close to their loved ones when they need them most. Read about your donations at work in our 2023/2024 Donor Impact Report. We also invite you to read our bonus web story, Breathe Strong, about a young man named Luke who decided to give back to the Children’s Health Unit.
Breathe Strong
Welland resident Luke has been to the Marotta Family hospital in St. Catharines so many times that he even has a favourite room and food, along with clear instructions for the nurses to not tape tubes to his face when he needs oxygen.
Luke is six years old.
“The first time we had to take Luke to the hospital was when he was three-and-a half-years old,” says mom April, who still remembers the immense fear she felt when her toddler couldn’t breathe. “It was during COVID and came out of the blue. We had no idea that he had respiratory issues.” Luke had suffered an asthma attack triggered by a rhinovirus. “He was at the hospital for three nights that first time, and we’ve been there another five times since: four times for asthma and once for croup.”
While Luke’s asthma is mostly under control, allergies and viruses continue to trigger attacks so severe that he requires hospitalization. “Sometimes his breathing is very quick and shallow, other times he’s really struggling and can’t get a deep breath in,” explains April. “We try to treat it at home as much as we can but we always end up back at the hospital.”
The Children’s Health Unit’s “amazing team” knows the goal is to get Luke home as fast as possible, April adds. “They try what they can with puffers but, unfortunately, he usually does end up needing oxygen.” Once off the oxygen, he needs to stay an additional 24 hours for observation, meaning that he usually has to stay for three nights. “He is really good with the oxygen,” April says, smiling at her brave little boy. “As long as they don’t use tape,” she chuckles, “he hates tape.”
What makes it all bearable for Luke and his family is his wonderful healthcare team at Niagara Health. “The nurses really care about him. Even when they’re not assigned to Luke, he has nurses who come to see him. They always try their best because they know we don’t want to have a very long stay, so they do everything they can. They come in every five minutes to prop him up so that his oxygen doesn’t drop during the night.” Luke himself is most grateful for the many toys and activities he gets when he is at the hospital. His favourite? “Nintendo,” he answers with a big smile on his face.
After one of Luke’s recent hospital stays, when he had again been showered with gifts and kindness by the team at the Children’s Health Unit, April wanted to give back and express her gratitude. When she heard about Niagara Health Foundation’s Kids Ultimate Challenge only a few weeks later, she knew she had found just the way to do it. “When I heard that it was an obstacle course, I knew that he would want to do that!” Luke started the team “Breathe Strong” with his cousins and, together, they became the top fundraising team, raising an incredible $2,410 for the Children’s Health Unit.
April says that when they first signed up for the event, she thought the donations would go towards activities for the kids. “I had no idea that the equipment isn’t funded by the government. When I learned about that on the Kids Ultimate Challenge website and thought of how much equipment is needed and how often Luke comes in to use it, I just knew we had to fundraise as much as we could.”
One of their fundraising initiatives was a lemonade stand, which brought in $600 for Luke and his team. “Everybody from the neighbourhood came and was so generous. The kids were so very proud.”
A few weeks before the event, Luke ended up back at the Marotta Family hospital but instead of being sad about it, he used the opportunity to promote the Kids Ultimate Challenge and even got his favourite nurse Matt to sponsor him.
Room 19
Luke looking out the window of room 19 during four different stays
“One of the biggest equipment improvements we have seen ourselves over the past couple of years is the switch from the monitors in the rooms to the Masimo monitors. We used to hear beeping all throughout the night but ever since the switch, the monitors are outside the room. It is much better for Luke and for myself when I try to get some sleep while staying with him in his room.” It’s the kind of improvement that is possible thanks to the support of our donors.
When the day for the big Kids Ultimate Challenge finally came, Luke had an amazing time. “I was going really fast,” he told us, beaming with pride, “and I did the whole thing!” His favourite part was the mud pit and he is already planning to do it again next year, inviting even more friends and raising even more money.
It’s important to April to spread the word that the event is about more than just a fun day out. “You just never know. We didn’t know Luke was going to have respiratory issues. We had no idea he was going to be in the hospital a lot. When you participate in the Kids Ultimate Challenge or sponsor someone, you are helping a family like ours. It matters.”
April hopes that Luke will eventually grow out of his asthma but, for now, she takes comfort in knowing that they’re in good hands at Niagara Health. “It was hard trying to get him to the hospital in the beginning. He would fight us and it was very hard on everyone. But now, it has become a familiar thing for him. It’s not scary anymore because it almost feels like a second home,” she says, adding that really nobody should ever have to think of the hospital as their second home, but it’s the comfort and familiarity they need to get through his admissions. “We never had a bad experience. The team is amazing and we are so grateful for them.”
Thank you for being such a champion for the Children’s Health Unit, Luke!
Your efforts ensure that your healthcare team has the tools they need to help brave little patients like you.
