Fall 2013 Volume 7
CELEBR ATE The Gift of Life
Three-year-old Chace Campsall Leaves Lasting Legacy The Borrowman Family from left to right: mom Robin, daughters Alliyah, 10, and Phoenix, 4, dad Adrian, and son Isaiah, 12. Story on page 8.
WHAT’S INSIDE Three-year-old Chace Campsall Leave Lasting Legacy . . . . . . . . . . 1 Message from the Chairman . . . . . 3 Message from the CEO . . . . . . . . . . 4 Thank You to the Foundation . . . . . 4 Through Care We Stand Together . . 5 Thanksgiving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 The McKewen Family Journey . . . . 6 Phoenix’s Story – Then & Now . . . . 8 A Generous Donation from CIBC Wood Gundy . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Giving Where They Live . . . . . . . . . 13 A Thoughtful & Meaningful Gesture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Thanks to our National Sponsors . 14 How Far Can One Million Air Miles Go? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 DFF Miracle Gala & Concert . . . . . 16 Donation Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Follow us on:
Heart transplant recipient provides organs to two families after suddenly passing away.
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s a heart transplant recipient, young Chace Campsall’s life was still cut short yet his parents hope his story lives on to encourage others to support organ donation and the David Foster Foundation.
Three-year-old Chase Campsall.
In early May 2013, Chace Campsall suddenly complained of pain. In spite of the efforts of Chace’s dad, paramedics, doctors and staff at Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary, Chace passed away from cardiac arrest. He was just three years old and had endured numerous heart operations. Although the majority of Chace’s small organs were unable to be used for transplant due to the anti-rejection medications the young boy was required to take, his corneas were provided to two young recipients. Both recipients had never seen before these successful transplants. As a result of the original heart transplant, and his parents’ willingness to provide available organs to continued on page 3
continued from page 1 other families waiting like they once had, Chace’s legacy lives on. Throughout Chace’s illness, the Campsalls received financial support from the David Foster Foundation, allowing Anthony and Christa to focus on the heart transplant and subsequent recovery of their young son. Following his passing, the Campsalls requested donations be directed to the David Foster Foundation and Alberta Children’s Hospital; in two months, more than $16,000 was raised in Chase’s honour. “More than 4,500 people are waiting for an organ transplant and last year 340 died while waiting,” says Michael Ravenhill, CEO of the David Foster Foundation. “What makes Chase’s story so compelling is that while enduring the grief of losing their son, the Campsall’s gave the gift of sight to two young children and are raising money for other families in need.” The David Foster Foundation, created in 1986 to assist families with the non-medical expenses incurred while children are undergoing lifesaving organ transplants, has helped more than 800 families throughout Canada. There is no age limit on organ donation but children under 18 must have parental or guardian consent. The national need for organ donation is so acute that TELUS sponsored and launched a website for the David Foster Foundation called www.daysinwait.com. This website is designed to help raise awareness about organ donation, and allow people to share their stories of hope support and inspiration. Many of those who are waiting are children and this is where the David Foster Foundation steps in, to help relieve some of the stress of having to manage day-to-day expenses on top of caring for a very sick child. While born healthy in 2009, Chace contracted a virus at five months old, one typical of children his age. Unfortunately, the virus quickly impacted the health of his heart, resulting in a diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy – or an enlarged heart. The enlarged heart impacted his lungs, causing one of them to collapse. Chace’s parents, Anthony and Christa, were told by doctors that the diagnosis could go one of three ways: full recovery, moderate recovery requiring medications for the rest of his life, or a heart transplant. After a month spent at BC Children’s Hospital without improvement, Chace and his parents transferred to
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Chace in Calgary on Nose Hill park, 2 months before his death.
“What makes Chase’s story so compelling is that while enduring the grief of losing their son, the Campsall’s gave the gift of sight to two young children and are raising money for other families in need.” Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton where he underwent surgery for a Berlin Heart. The Berlin Heart, introduced in Canada in 2004, allows the heart to function with the aid of an exterior compressor that is connected to flexible tubes that are implanted into the ventricular arteries. Although the Berlin Heart greatly improved Chace’s short-term health, he still required a heart transplant. Six months after arriving at Stollery Children’s Hospital, Chace received a new heart, which his young body accepted. Ten days later, Chace was discharged from the hospital, just prior to his first birthday. “One of the nurses trying to prepare us for the future described it as going from a terminally ill child to a chronically ill child,” says Christa Campsall. “There would always be blood work, biopsies, renal exams, etc.” To learn about the David Foster Foundation and Chace’s Legacy Trust, visit www.davidfosterfoundation.com
www.davidfosterfoundation.com
Message from the Chairman “I want people to remember all the families whose lives were changed, all the children whose lives were saved because of what the David Foster Foundation does. My music is simply how I communicate; the children is how I hope to be remembered.”
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his year has been a busy one as we prepare for our 26th anniversary Miracle Gala and Concert in Toronto, and step up our efforts to raise 30 million dollars by our 30th anniversary in 2017. The David Foster Foundation is committed to supporting families of critically ill children requiring major organ transplants. We support the families financially by providing everything from housing costs to travel expenses and everything in between. Each time I visit the pediatric unit of a hospital it fuels the fire of my commitment as I see families struggling to come to terms with the gravity of their child’s situation, while simultaneously trying to figure out how to make ends meet. If we can alleviate just one aspect of their struggle, then our work is worthwhile.
directors and the tireless work of the staff and volunteers, and I warmly thank each and every one of them. I want my legacy to be this foundation. I want people to remember all the families whose lives were changed, all the children whose lives were saved because of what the David Foster Foundation does. My music is simply how I communicate; the children are how I hope to be remembered.
Sincerely,
David Foster, Founder and Chairman
The families we help are all different, each situation unique, but I am always thrilled by success stories. Phoenix Borrowman is one such success; less than a year old when she received a heart transplant, she is now a vibrant 4 year old whose smile can light up a room. Inside her chest beats the heart of another little girl whose mother made the devastating decision to take her tiny daughter off life support and donate her organs after she drowned during a family holiday. Her selfless decision saved Phoenix’s life, spared the Borrowman’s from the pain of losing their daughter, and allowed the little girl’s legacy to live on. It is stories like this that make all that we do feel like we are making a difference. As always, I could not claim to have a foundation without the endless dedication of the board of
David Foster with from left to right: transplant recipients Coen Wallace, Kaiya McEwen, Coen Wallace and Evanne Fisher,at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel in Victoria, BC
David Foster Foundation Newsletter
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Message from the CEO
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am looking forward to the 26th annual Miracle Gala and Concert in Toronto December 5th where we hope to have our most successful event ever. The Toronto team has been working tirelessly to put together a truly fantastic event and I am looking forward to what is sure to be an unforgettable evening. We are honored to have such incredible national partners in TELUS, WestJet, Oak Bay Beach Hotel, Aird and Berlis LLP, Schnitzer, Hope Air and Marriot Hotels, without whom we simply could not help the families that we support each and every day. David has talked about our 30x30 campaign — the quest to raise 30 million dollars by our 30th anniversary in 2017. This has produced an unparalleled response which prompts me to believe that with this foundation, anything is possible. Our commitment to raising 30 million dollars over the next four years ensures that we will have financial sustainability for many years
to come and with that the future of the families we help is ensured. We strive to help more families every year, and with the ongoing support and generosity of communities all across Canada, we will continue to have success stories like that of Phoenix Borrowman. We are thrilled to be in Toronto for our 26th Gala fundraising event and there are no words to express the gratitude I feel towards the committee Co Chairs and volunteers for their time, efforts and talent. The David Foster Foundation would still be a dream if it weren’t for the commitment and dedication of these selfless people.
Kind regards,
Mike Ravenhill, Chief Executive Officer
Thank You to the Foundation
Callum, 3 months post liver transplant enjoying the great outdoors.
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www.davidfosterfoundation.com
Through Care We Stand Together Written by Ruta Niedra, Social Worker
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aising a healthy child brings both joys and challenges, often incorporating life events which even the most experienced parent does not expect. When a child is diagnosed with life threatening end stage heart failure, both the child’s and the parent(s)’ world is instantly transformed. I am one of two social workers on the Heart Transplant Team at SickKids Toronto and have been working with the team since our program began in 1990. The majority of the children and families that I work with are experiencing a great deal of emotional stress and worry. The very initiation of the heart transplant discussion confirms that there is usually no other conventional therapy – medical or surgical that could extend life. The remaining life, of whatever quality, can usually be counted in weeks and months rather than years.
These families are under a tremendous amount of stress, as they recognize the critical nature of their child’s condition. There is a need to adapt to new circumstances; the family must face changes which bring new unique challenges that don’t necessarily promise a positive outcome. The expertise available at SickKids brings children and families from all over Canada, some travelling great distances; which means relocation and separation from family and other familiar supports. The David Foster Foundation has made a tremendous difference in the lives of the families I work with. Each family’s needs are individually assessed and the practical help that the Foundation has been able to provide with household expenses, travel, and accommodations has allowed the families to focus on what is most important to them – their child. The funds made available clearly demonstrate yet another means of providing supportive care to the family when it is so needed. It is both a pleasure and an honour to work with such a fabulous foundation! Your collaboration and assistance contributes a great deal to our overall plan of care!
Thanksgiving
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honestly cannot thank you enough for helping my family through the past 6 months of our lives. You made us not once have to worry about money during this time and we seriously cannot say thanks enough. This thanksgiving is going to be one to remember for my whole family and your team is without a doubt part of the things that we are thankful for this year.
Being able to bring Lily home has been a dream of mine for the past 199 days. Nothing was ever guaranteed regarding her health and we had some scary days. Tomorrow is officially the 200th day from being away from home and ironically it is the day we get to take her home. Tomorrow night she officially gets to sleep in her crib again which she hasn’t done since March 24th. To say I am excited would be an understatement!! You are an INCREDIBLE organization, and my family will always remember what you did for us.
– Thank you over and over again, Hailey, Mark & our precious Lily
One-year-old liver transplant patient, Lily
Please look for Lily’s full story in an upcoming newsletter and the DFF website and Facebook. David Foster Foundation Newsletter
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The McKewen Family Journey “Imagine a doctor telling you that your baby was in the end-stage of liver failure and would need a liver transplant to survive.”
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he McKewen family nightmare began when their baby girl, Kaiya, was just 2 months old. Kaiya was violently ill, jaundiced, and her abdomen was extremely swollen and distended. Concerned, and totally caught offguard, the family rushed from their home on Salt Spring Island to Victoria General Hospital, and were quickly airlifted to BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver. After three excruciating weeks of waiting and worrying, doctors diagnosed Kaiya with Alpha-One Antitrypsin Deficiency — a genetic condition that affects the liver and/or lungs. Yet, despite the daily trauma that Kaiya endured being poked, prodded, and woken up throughout the night to be tested and medicated, Kaiya’s little light kept shining. Her beautiful smile and laughter reminded her whole family that she was not giving up. The nightmare had descended and infant Kaiya was holding the torch. Over the next few months, Kaiya was in and out of the hospital and had countless medical appointments, tests, assessments, and procedures, including the insertion of a lifesaving feeding tube. It was during this hard time that the David Foster Foundation began to support the family through providing accommodations close to the hospital where they could stay connected as a family, and through financial support of their non-medical living expenses that they faced as a family with a sick child. After a stressful trip to Edmonton for a transplant assessment, the generous support of the David Foster Foundation allowed them to spend some restful time at home. They were able to surround themselves with their incredible family and friends while digesting the transplant prognosis. They describe feeling as if they were cared for alongside of Kaiya. Having their financial burden lifted during this time so they were able to completely concentrate on Kaiya’s transplant situation meant so much to them.
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Kaiya after her liver transplant.
They were only just beginning to recover from the shock of Kaiya’s diagnosis when they faced yet another traumatic event; Kaiya suffered an episode of severe gastrointestinal bleeding. She was rushed into the intensive care unit at BC Children’s Hospital and, once she stabilized, was flown to Children’s Stollery at the Alberta University Hospital in Edmonton. At this time, Kaiya was listed as a priority for transplant. Soon after, Kaiya suffered another major gastrointestinal bleed and was again placed in the intensive care unit. Relocated and in a strange city, they waited. They were fortunate to find a relative willing to provide a living donor transplant. All of the doctors, nurses, and
www.davidfosterfoundation.com
Kaiya with David Foster in Victoria, BC at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel.
“In a time when home was unknown, and employment was disappearing, the David Foster Foundation gave us the hope to hang on. They helped lessen our stress and allowed us to focus our energy and effort on the things that mattered.” Kaiya’s ever-persistent and loving grandmother, pushed for surgery to happen as soon as possible. All the family could do was stay at Kaiya’s side and beg her: “please stay with us, stay with us!” And she did. They heard her called a trouper more times than you can imagine. On September 7th, 2012, her amazing and generous Great Aunt Jane became a successful living donor, and things began to improve rapidly. Kaiya was discharged as an outpatient the next month and Kaiya and her mom, Rita stayed at the Ronald McDonald House. The family made it home to BC just in time for Christmas, and for Kaiya’s second birthday, which she celebrated in the local
hospital in Campbell River with family, friends, and lots of cupcakes. Since her transplant, Kaiya has been in and out of the hospital due to a high fever, a few “bugs,” and some adjustments to medications, but overall doing better than ever. She is feisty, funny, and outgoing and has a loving and friendly disposition. She can now run and play with her brother and get into the kinds of trouble that all toddlers should get into. The McKewen family now has 2 healthy children and it is something that could not have happened without the overwhelming support they received from the David Foster Foundation. The Foundation allowed the McKewen family to be together during the hardest times, to keep their son in school, and to be close to their support system through supporting them to meet their non-medical financial obligations. As Rita McKewen says, “In a time when home was unknown, and employment was disappearing, the David Foster Foundation gave us hope to hang on. They helped lessen our stress and allowed us to focus our energy and effort on the things that mattered.” David Foster Foundation Newsletter
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Phoenix’s Story – Then… Robin Borrowman is the mother of one and a half year old Phoenix. Robin shared her story with you in the Spring 2011 Foundation Newsletter. We hope you feel as inspired as we are.
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o we would love to share Phoenix’s story. We just celebrated her 1 year new heart anniversary. What a great milestone! Phoenix was born April 8, 2009, a healthy 9 lbs 3 oz baby girl. She was bright and happy. On June 8th, when she was 8 weeks old, I took her into our local ER, suspecting an ear infection because she had been a little fussy for the past 24 hrs. The Perth ER triage nurse noticed she was taking shallow breaths, and scooped up her infant seat and ran into ER with her.
Her brother, Isaiah, 9, was so distraught that he had constant nightmares. Her sister, Alliyah 7, missed her baby and mommy so much that she became quiet and withdrawn.
While in ER, Phoenix’s heart stopped. She was revived with epinephrine* and then rushed via helicopter to CHEO (Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario). She was in cardiac shock and had 8% ejection fraction**. With an x-ray it was determined that she had dilated cardiomyopathy. (We now know it was caused by a unknown virus). We were told there was no surgery to change this, that 1/3 of cases recover with medications, 1/3 require a transplant and 1/3 die before they do either.
On July 22nd, Phoenix’s heart stopped for 11 minutes. The next morning she was placed on a Berlin Heart****. She was the 17th case in SickKids history to receive one. She was the smallest of all the cases. On her Berlin heart, she was able to move out of CCCU for the first time since June 8th. She was able to see her siblings again which made her smile. She regained some muscle and mobility, and even started to take small amounts of formula from a bottle.
Phoenix spent the next 2 weeks in the intensive care unit, on and off of breathing tubes and various meds. It was determined she needed to go to Toronto SickKids to be listed for transplant.
On August 14th, we received the call we were waiting for, and Phoenix was taken down to the operating room for a new heart. Thanks to the amazing research done at SickKids related to the fact that infants do not have the anti-bodies to fight off foreign blood, Phoenix was able to receive a heart that was an incompatible blood type, thus shortening her life threatening wait. Within 2 weeks she went home from the hospital.
On July 8th 2009, she was officially listed for transplant by the team at SickKids. She remained in CCCU***, again going on and off of breathing tubes. We had to relocate to Toronto. This was a traumatic experience for all of us on top of the fact that our precious daughter was in the midst of the fight of her life. * is a hormone and neurotransmitter and it increases heart rate, contracts blood vessels, dilates air passages ** is the fraction of blood pumped out of ventricles with each heart beat
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Robin Borrowman with one and a half year Phoenix.
With the help of her loving siblings she quickly caught up to her milestones and took her first steps Cardiac Critical Care Unit the Berlin Heart is a Ventricular assist device, or VAD, and is a mechanical circulatory device used to partially or completely replace the function of a failing heart *** ****
www.davidfosterfoundation.com
“Phoenix’s heart stopped for 11 minutes. The next morning she was placed on a Berlin Heart. She was the 17th case in SickKids history to receive one.” at 10 months old. She has had zero rejection of her new heart, is on minimum meds and has had little complication. Today, she is a big, healthy toddler that loves to talk, talk, talk, run, climb and explore. We are so thankful to the amazing teams of doctors and nurses at CHEO and SickKids. We are so grateful that the David Foster Foundation was there to help us stay together as a family during the most terrifying time of our lives.
Phoenix Borrowman on her Berlin Heart.
Phoenix’s Story – Now…
How organ donation brought two families together How two families — one Canadian and one American — were united by tragedy, and the innovative heart transplant that saved this little girl’s life. Written August 23, 2013 by Lisa Gregoire
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obin Borrowman reached into her purse and pulled out a stethoscope. Sylvia Tuma didn’t notice, because her back was turned as she got up to leave the breakfast table. But Sylvia’s mother, Gladys, saw it. She grabbed Sylvia’s arm and turned her around. This visit was the first time the two families had met in person after the transplant. They’d lingered at a Disney World restaurant for hours, not wanting to say goodbye. The Borrowmans were scheduled to fly back home to Perth, Ont., later that day, and the servers were setting up for lunch now. It was time to go.
Sylvia Tuma, 31, Phoenix, 4, and Robin Borrowman, 38.
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The stethoscope was an unexpected gesture. And it was funny, too, because Sylvia and Gladys had debated bringing one to the restaurant. Sylvia thought it might seem intrusive and decided against it. Now, here was the simple instrument that would allow Sylvia to hear her daughter’s heart, beating inside another child’s body. Robin handed Sylvia the stethoscope and held threeyear-old Phoenix on her lap. Sylvia put the ear tips in and placed the stethoscope gently against Phoenix’s chest. Then she held her breath, and closed her eyes. There was the rhythm of Natalia’s tiny heart, beating plain as day. Most parents who donate their child’s organs never know who receives them. In Ontario, it’s illegal to disclose the names of donors and recipients, a practice that allows those who donate to retreat into anonymity if they wish, and those who receive to feel no obligations. But the Internet provides an irresistible avenue for scouring social media and searching for news stories about accidents and transplants, which is exactly what these families did. It’s risky, because you may find disappointment in the end, but you may also find some form of peace after tragedy. The story of Phoenix and Natalia is foremost about family. There’s also science and spirituality, innovation, guilt, bitterness, blame and forgiveness. Some things about it seem impossible, like losing a child and, in a way, finding her again. It’s also a story about two mothers who would never have known each other, now sharing a bond so unique there’s no word to describe it. Six months later, Sylvia and her family, who live outside Miami, are finally visiting Canada. They’re at Wheeler’s Pancake House and Sugar Camp, an hour southwest of Ottawa. Phoenix, now four, and her two older siblings are on the playground outside with Alanis, Sylvia’s 13-year-old godchild and cousin. Two-year-old Bianca Tuma, born 15 months after Natalia’s death, sits inside with the adults, colouring. She’s a little older than Natalia was when she died, and looks just like her. The Borrowmans have invited Sylvia and her relatives to spend Canada Day in Perth. They’re also going to Canada’s Wonderland, and taking a tour of the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, where the heart transplant took place four years ago. It was important for Gladys and Alanis to come on the trip, because they
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Sylvia Tuma’s mother, Gladys Beneito, cousin Alanis, 13, Sylvia Tuma, and toddler Bianca, 2, visited the Borrowman family in Ontario: daughter Alliyah, 10, son, Isaiah, 12, mom Robin, Phoenix, now 4, and dad Adrian. Robin is holding a picture of Natalia.
“The story of Phoenix and Natalia is foremost about family. There’s also science and spirituality, innovation, guilt, bitterness, blame and forgiveness.” were there the day Natalia died. Natalia Tuma, a browneyed, curly-haired two-year-old, drowned in a backyard pool on August 9, 2009, while vacationing with her family on Marco Island, a two-hour drive from Miami. The night before, Natalia slept with her parents and kept them awake with her fidgeting. She rose around 7:30 a.m., and Sylvia asked her mother and her aunt Irene to watch Natalia for a bit, so she could get some sleep. No one saw Natalia go near the water. They believe she accessed the pool through a bathroom that had two doors, one of which opened onto the pool deck. She’d been jumping in and out of the pool, with water wings on, all afternoon the previous day. It was Irene who pulled Natalia out, and Gladys, a nurse, who performed CPR until the ambulance arrived. The little girl was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors reestablished a pulse, and later flown to Miami Children’s Hospital, where she was put on life support. Sylvia, inconsolable, blamed everyone, including herself. Gladys is freshly wounded every time she talks about that day, and wears a tiny bottle of her granddaughter’s
www.davidfosterfoundation.com
“Sylvia approached doctors about organ donation. Years ago, her grandmother had received a life-saving liver transplant — maybe something good could come of this unthinkable pain.” ashes on a chain around her neck. Sylvia and her aunt Irene have only recently mended their relationship, and Sylvia and her husband are now divorced. After the second day in the hospital, Sylvia knew Natalia wasn’t coming back. Despite reservations from her husband’s family, she approached doctors about organ donation. Years ago, her grandmother had received a life-saving liver transplant — maybe something good could come of this unthinkable pain. Roughly 2,500 kilometres away, in Toronto, four-monthold Phoenix was at SickKids, attached to a Berlin Heart, a cumbersome but remarkable machine that simulates a heart’s function by pumping blood through the body. She’d been tethered to it for more than three weeks, after a diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition where the heart enlarges and operates at a fraction of its capacity, because it doesn’t squeeze and contract the way it’s supposed to. Specialists had tried to treat the condition with drugs, but it hadn’t worked, and Phoenix was getting weaker. She went on the transplant list.
turned up at the hospital without hair and makeup done, looking like I had myself together, even if I didn’t. I discovered, oddly, that nobody really uses the chapel at the hospital. So I had a lot of freak-outs in there, kicking walls, crying.” Supporting each other was crucial. “Robin made the decision to be strong sooner than I did,” says Adrian. “I wasn’t as strong as she was. There were some bad nights. You worry about whether this will make you a better person or a worse person. You have two other children, and you have to be strong.” They’d been waiting 37 days, well short of the fivemonth average wait for paediatric hearts, when cardiologist Anne Dipchand, head of the heart transplant program at SickKids, called at 5 a.m. on August 14, 2009. They had a heart. The Borrowmans left their Toronto apartment at sunrise, bewildered by the prospect of getting what they wished for, along with a whole new set of challenges. Sylvia’s decision to donate Natalia’s organs had triggered a complex algorithmic search, through dozens of organ procurement agencies across North America, to determine where they would go based on factors such as geography, patient weight and need. After accepting the heart, Trillium Gift of Life Network (Ontario’s organ donation and transplant organization),
The wait was agonizing. The Borrowmans lived in Toronto hotels — and dad Adrian made periodic trips home to Perth, where they own a Home Furniture store until they got an apartment, with help from the David Foster Foundation, a non-profit that provides financial support to families waiting for organ transplants. They felt like they were neglecting their older kids, Isaiah and Alliyah, whom they shuttled back and forth between the two cities. They prayed Phoenix wouldn’t die before a heart became available. They hoped she’d get a heart before all the other equally needy children, which felt like a twisted competition. And every day, they tried to forget that their joy depended on someone else’s grief. Ever mindful of the nurses and social workers assessing a family’s preparedness for the rigorous post-transplant demands, Robin remained focused. “I often noticed the nurses were watching and taking notes,” she says. “It put such fear in me that I never
Bianca with Phoenix and Alliyah.
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began to co-ordinate the logistics. Organ retrieval teams converged on the Miami hospital around noon. The heart, which has the shortest shelf life of all organs — about six hours from stoppage of blood flow to transplant — is first injected with a cardioplegic solution to stop the beating, then removed. The team placed the plum-sized organ into a sterile container, put it into a cooler of ice and returned to the airport just as surgeons in Toronto were disconnecting Phoenix’s Berlin Heart apparatus and preparing her for transplant. This kind of operation is astounding, but there was another twist. Natalia had type-B blood and Phoenix has type O. But because infants’ immune systems are still developing, they can accept an incompatible heart. SickKids, a world leader in ABO-incompatible heart transplants, pioneered the procedure in the 1990s and has since performed 48 such surgeries, more than any other hospital worldwide. Baby hearts are amazingly resilient — unburdened by the years of cholesterol, salt, tobacco and idleness of adulthood. Of infants who receive a heart transplant, 70 percent will still be alive 20 years later. “It’s incredibly gratifying,” says Dipchand, who has performed nearly 300 heart transplants since joining SickKids in 1998. “We have kids now who send us their graduation pictures. One sent me a wedding
Phoenix Borrowman.
invitation. To see these kids grow up, and to see what they’re like before and then after, it’s night and day.” To read more about the amazing Phoenix story go to the Today’s Parent magazine, September 2013 issue; todaysparent.com
A Generous Donation from
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he CIBC Miracle Day is an employee-driven fundraiser that started at a Wood Gundy branch in 1984. Every year, on the first Wednesday in December, CIBC’s wholesale banking employees and participating CIBC Wood Gundy Investment Advisors donate their fees and commissions to help kids in need.
Tim Crawford, First Vice-President; Portfolio Manager and Investment Advisor for CIBC Wood Gundy, Victoria, B.C. presenting the cheque to Mike Ravenhill, CEO of the David Foster Foundation.
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The David Foster Foundation was recently one of the beneficiaries of the CIBC Children’s Miracle Day event. Tim Crawford, First VicePresident; Portfolio manager and Investment Advisor for CIBC Wood Gundy, Victoria, B.C. proudly presents a donation cheque for $19,000 to Mike Ravenhill, CEO of the David Foster Foundation. Thank you Tim and CIBC for your wonderful generosity! www.davidfosterfoundation.com
Giving Where They Live
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ehind every business and corporation is the people who help bring life to the company. This is certainly true when it comes to TELUS. The David Foster Foundation has been extremely fortunate to have partnered with such an amazing corporation, and group of individuals who practice what they preach. Not only has TELUS financially supported the David Foster Foundation’s continuing efforts, but has also provided us volunteers through the TELUS Community Ambassadors. We have been blessed as a charitable organization to have had their assistance with the gala to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the David Foster Foundation in May of 2012. The South Island TELUS Ambassadors provided countless hours of volunteering to make the weekend a success, and we would not have been able to do it without them. To the surprise of the foundation their spirit of giving didn’t stop there. The dedicated group also pledged to raise $10,000 to support a David Foster Foundation family. Through a garage sale, BBQ’s, a softball tournament, and personal donations the group not only achieved their goal, but exceeded it to raise a total of $15,408.00. On Saturday, May 25, 2013, TELUS came together for their seventh annual national day of service to make their biggest impact ever through TELUS Day of Giving. Across Canada more than 14,000 team members, retirees, Community Ambassadors and their families and friends took part by participating in more than 500 volunteer events across the country. Once again we have proudly teamed up with TELUS to be our presenting sponsor for the David Foster Foundation 2013 Miracle Gala and Concert on December 5th 2013. We are thrilled that Donna Davidson, the co-president of the South Island TELUS Community Ambassadors, has agreed to help coordinate the assistance of the three greater Toronto TELUS Community Ambassador clubs to make it another fantastic event.
South Island TELUS Community Ambassadors volunteering at the BC Ferries Golf Tournament.
TELUS Community Ambassadors and DFF volunteers involved with the DFF 25th Anniversary Gala.
South Island TELUS Community Ambassador cheque presentation to Mike Ravenhill, CEO of the David Foster Foundation. They exceeded their $10,000 pledge and raised $15,408 toward sponsoring a David Foster Family.
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A Thoughtful & Meaningful Gesture
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uzanne Camu and Marc Quinet, parents of Thomas-Paul Quinet who died while waiting for a double-lung re-transplant on September 4th, 2011, were able to bring family and friends together in support of the Foundation through a very meaningful gesture on the part of Suzanne’s brother, Pierre.
In lieu of gifts, Pierre Camu, who was planning his wedding celebration together with Tina Kader, wished for their friends and family to make a donation to a charity. They had asked Suzanne and Marc to identify an organization involved in organ and tissue donation and transplantation awareness. As said by Marc and Suzanne, “The Foundation’s name naturally came to mind because of its national coverage and also, because of its tremendous support during the years we spent in Toronto, both in 2007 for the first transplant, and again in 2010-2011, while we waited for the re-transplant.”
“Papy” Camu officiates the wedding ceremony of Tina Kader and Pierre Camu.
Tina and Pierre celebrated their wedding at Restaurant Laloux in Montreal on Saturday, September 28th, 2013. The personalized touches of the wedding stemmed from Suzanne’s father, Pierre Camu, officiating the ceremony including friends and family playing the cello and piano to the valued gifts of donation to the David Foster Foundation in Thomas-Paul’s memory. A photo taken of Thomas and David Foster in November completed this wonderful wedding ambiance. An event to remember... The David Foster Foundation is very grateful to Pierre and Tina Camu for their wonderful gesture to the foundation.
The happy couple, Pierre, Tina and their daughter, Zoe.
Thanks to our National Sponsors!
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How Far Can One Million Air Miles Go?
T
hanks to a donation of one million air miles to the David Foster Foundation from Toronto-based law firm Aird & Berlis LLP last month, a young heart transplant patient and his uncle could fly home to Saint John, NB from Toronto’s Children’s Hospital where he had one of his regularly scheduled check ups, at no expense. It is this type of innovative partnership that helps the David Foster Foundation keep families together when children are facing the urgent need for an organ transplant and ongoing check ups. Since 1986, the David Foster Foundation has assisted more than 800 families across Canada, providing millions of dollars in direct family support. The Foundation’s financial commitment to families can be as high as $100,000. The average minimum cost to support a family is $10,000 a year. This support has ranged from a one time financial request to multiple years as children undergo regular check ups. And, research has shown that 85 per cent of families with children undergoing organ transplants will end up in bankruptcy and divorce if faced with this financial burden on their own. When the partners of Aird & Berlis LLP first learned the story of the David Foster Foundation in 2012, it captured their hearts and their creativity. While they wanted to help, they wanted to do more than donate money. “We were impressed with the immense need that the foundation was filling, as families face having to drop everything to support their child during a life threatening situation,” says Eldon Bennett, managing partner at Aird & Berlis LLP. “It is in our culture to look beyond immediate needs and focus on what will really make a sustainable difference.”
And, after learning that one of the significant hard costs for the foundation was flight expenses due to many families needing to travel far distances to receive specialized pediatric care, Aird & Berlis LLP, with its 140 lawyers doing business around the world, decided to donate one million
David Foster taking a moment out of his busy schedule to visit the managing partners and staff at Aird & Berlis LLP.
air miles. These air miles complement a partnership the Foundation has with WestJet, which also provides flight passes. However some of the families live in communities not serviced by WestJet so the Foundation would have to purchase the flights directly. “We want to keep families together during these stressful times, but to do so requires flights and flights are expensive, as there are only seven Canadian hospitals which specialize in pediatric organ transplants,” says Michael Ravenhill, CEO of the David Foster Foundation. “To be able to offset a hard cost like this for so many of our families simply means we have more funds available to help pay day to day living expenses, like mortgages, food and out of town accommodation. It is a priceless gift.” Aird & Berlis LLP’s donation of air miles is actually just one part of the ongoing commitment to the Foundation. Upon first discovering that the Foundation was in need of office space in downtown Toronto, Aird & Berlis LLP quickly offered to lend a hand. Understanding how important a well appointed office, with administration support and meeting space is to building relationships, they offered to provide a fully furnished office, administration support and meeting space on an ongoing basis. The cost of the Bay Street address would have been far out of reach of the Foundation’s ability to invest in – especially as it is committed to keeping its hard costs to a minimum. “When you combine this gift of flights along with the office space and support for our Toronto based team member, this partnership with Aird & Berlis LLP helps us take our fundraising to a whole new level,” says Ravenhill. David Foster Foundation Newsletter
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David Foster Foundation Donation Form Thank you for supporting children and their families receiving life-saving organ transplants. Donations can be mailed to: David Foster Foundation, 212 Henry Street, Victoria, BC V9A 3H9 CANADA
M Make a Personal Donation
Title:____________ First Name:__________________________ Last Name:__________________________
(e.g. Mr, Mrs, Dr)
M Make Donation on behalf of an Organization
Name of Organization:_______________________________________________________
Address:________________________________________________________________ City/Town:__________________________________ Province/State:____________________________ Postal/Zip Code:_________________________ Country:_________________________ Phone: (_________) _____________ Ext________ E-mail Address:____________________________________________________________
M I give permission for the David Foster Foundation to contact me via e-mail with information about how I can support
children receiving life saving organ transplants.
Additional Comments:_________________________________________________________________________________________________ Amount: $_________________ Currency:________________ M One Time Credit Card Payment Credit Card Type:
M VISA M MC M AMEX
M Recurring Monthly Payment
Credit Card #:__________________________________________________________
Card Security #:____________ Card Holder’s Name:_________________________________________ Expiry Date (MM/YY):___________ I would like to make a donation in memory/honour of:_______________________________________________________________________
M Please notify the next of kin that a donation has been made. M I would like to keep my gift private. Canadian Charitable Business No. 10700 4210 RR0001. US Federal ID No. 81-0581479. Tax receipts will be issued upon receipt of donation. Donations can also be made online at www.davidfosterfoundation.com
To donate to the David Foster Foundation and support children and their families receiving life-saving organ transplants, please visit www.davidfosterfoundation.com or mail in your donation directly to:
David Foster Foundation, 212 Henry Street, Victoria, BC V9A 3H9 CANADA
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