EAGLE VALLEY
NEWS
Candidates respond in public forum Page 3
Movie night to support local teen in hospital Page 7
Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2015 PM40008236
Vol. 60 No. 38 Sicamous, B.C., • 1.25 (GST included) • www.eaglevalleynews.com
On the mend: Britton Hutchinson is recovering well after receiving a heart transplant earlier this month at Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton. Photo contributed
Britton bouncing back after heart operation By Martha Wickett Eagle Valley News
For the Hutchinson family, their lives have been turned upside down and back again. “It’s just a brand new world,” says Teri Hutchinson, mother of Baby Britton who underwent a heart transplant on Sept. 3. Britton was born on May 13 of this year with a rare congenital heart defect called pulmonary artesia, meaning the right ventricle of her heart did not develop normally. Because her parents Colin and Teri knew of her condition before she was born, they travelled to the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton where Britton could receive specialized cardiac care. When it was discovered that corrective surgery would be too
risky for her, she was put on the transplant list. Her parents had no idea how long they might have to wait. “It was in the beginning the worst case scenario to us, something you don’t even want to consider,” Teri told the News Monday. “Now to see how well she’s doing, it’s incredible, it’s definitely the best route for her.” They received the call they’d been waiting for on Sept. 2. “We were at the hospital, because we’d been admitted at the hospital all summer. We were just packing up to go for a fivehour pass for the day.” Less than 12 hours later, Britton was undergoing surgery. Wrote Teri on Facebook on Sept. 4: “The transplant and surgical teams worked through the night performing the miraculous pro-
cedure. The healthy new heart seems to be a very good fit and everyone involved is over the moon with how well she is doing. The heart could not have come at a more brilliant time, as little did anyone know Britton’s shunt was clotting again and her stats were dropping moments before the surgery began! Words cannot explain our feelings and emotions at this time. We are overwhelmed and excited as a weight has been lifted. “Britton’s colour is like night and day and she looks like a whole new baby already. She was extubated less than 11 hours post surgery and her lungs have been working on their own perfectly ever since.” Britton’s speedy recovery hasn’t slowed down. See Family grateful on page 2
Aww shucks: Parkview Elementary students Mason Larson and Matt Fehling, above, shuck cobs of corn during the school’s Terry Fox Run and corn shucking event held Thursday, Sept. 17. Below, Jasmine Gossen and Andrew Larson run laps in Finlayson Park. Photos by Kelly Dick