It Takes a Village

with the financial ramifications it can have on a household, sometimes a household with a single income or two or three more children, and you can see how families are faced with one of the most challenging times of their lives.

The numbers don't lie!

1. Between 2019-2023 which includes COVID, our total annual cost to support our families has increased to an outstanding 93%.

2. Between 2019-2023 which includes COVID, our cost on average to support a single family has increased by 147%.

A serious and most disturbing result of the economic conditions over the past four years.

In short, our families have and continue to experience an unconscionable financial burden. Without your financial support, the well-being of our families is at risk.

Message from Director of Family Relations

In the past five years I have been with the David Foster Foundation, I have had celebrated with each family as their child receives and recovers from transplant and are discharged home where they can finally enjoy life outside of a hospital bed. I understand how the months, or even years, long transplant process affects families and the joy that is felt when an immensely sick child has respite from their pain. Alongside the joy that some families find, I have also been heartbroken to hear that a child whose family we assisted had passed away because they did not receive the life-saving organ transplant they needed.

As we celebrate National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness month in April, I encourage you to register as an organ donor and talk to your loved ones about your wishes. Registering as an organ donor could save lives.

I also want to acknowledge the huge teams that support the families the Foundation assists: their social workers, doctors, allied health professionals, nurses, family members, community members and the list goes on. It really does take a village and it is an honour to work alongside so many caring individuals dedicated to supporting transplant families and raising

Every dollar counts, no matter the amount. You can support our families in the following ways:

How to make a donation to the Foundation:

1. Mail your cheques to David Foster Foundation, 212 Henry Street, Victoria BC V9A 3H9

2. Please call 1-877-777-7675

3. Online through PayPal at davidfosterfoundation.com

4. Electronic funds transfer— please email info@davidfosterfoundation.com

With sincere regards,

John Danson SVP, Fund Development

awareness about the importance of organ donation.

Sincerely,

Aleea Dahinden Director of Family Relations

This was the absolute worst rollercoaster ride to be on. Doctors tried to prepare us for the worst and broke the news that Kolt might not make it and needed a heart transplant now. We were allowed the opportunity to bring our other children in to meet him for the first time while we waited for that life-saving call.

or even a consideration for Robin and Bryan, they wanted to fight for their baby boy and wanted to take it day by day and appointment after appointment. The doctors assisted with more genetic tests to completely rule out Trisomy 13, and fortunately, his amniocentesis came back normal completely ruling out that diagnosis.

On March 15, 2022 Kolt DuPont came into the world fighting and made a loud entrance that announced his arrival. Kolt was immediately put on IV medication that encouraged blood flow through his tiny body. Much to the doctor’s surprise, Kolt was doing extraordinary and was even breathing all on his own with the support of the medication. Later that day, it was decided to try him without the IV medication but unfortunately, as soon as they took him off he could no longer breathe on his own and had to be immediately intubated. He was put back on IV medication and put into an induced medical coma to prevent his heart from working too hard.

At only two days old, Kolt’s ventilator clogged, and he was given CPR for 45 minutes before being reintubated. A traumatic moment for the entire DuPont family and Robin remembers it, “it was absolutely devastating to go from carrying my sweet baby for nine months, where I felt he was protected, to watching my tiny baby surrounded by doctors, and on only his second day fearing for the worst. I will never forget how terrifying that moment in time was.”

At five days old on March 20th, Kolt was officially listed as a Status 4, the most urgent status, for a heart transplant. At six days old, Kolt had his very first open-heart surgery for pulmonary artery banding. He received a pacemaker and was placed on dialysis as well. Shortly after, the family watched Kolt open his eyes again. Even though he was incredibly weak and wasn’t able to move his body, he would move his little tongue as if he had a soother. This was an incredible moment for the family.

When Kolt was one month old, he received a stent to keep his duct open which allowed him to be taken off the IV medication he had been placed on since birth. Kolt was very, very weak and unable to move his small body. He was placed on hold for a transplant, as his specialist team did more genetic testing to try and determine if a muscle disorder was causing these health issues. This was incredibly disheartening for the family and left them unknowing what to expect.

It was an ongoing battle for the DuPont family with countless challenges. Robin and Bryan remained bedside with Kolt through everything he went through and watched him battle against the odds while managing the care of their other children at home. Robin remembers, “Bryan and I barely saw each other. Our other kids were miserable because they went from having us home all the time and always doing things as a family to only seeing mom or only seeing dad. They were scared for their brother and didn’t understand why he couldn’t come home.” When Kolt’s chest tubes were being removed, they had become stuck and tore his lungs which required an emergency thoracotomy to repair the damage that had been caused. Kolt continued to fight for his life while his heart continued to fail at a rapid pace.

Kolt’s genetic tests came back negative, and he was placed back on the transplant list at a Status 4 for a heart.

The next couple of weeks were a blur for the DuPont family filled with uncertainty, emotion, and hope. After much discussion and planning by their doctors, Kolt was now 10 weeks old and was going to receive an LVAD which was incredibly rare for a baby his size. After his second open-heart surgery that lasted for a grelling eight hours, Kolt came out of that surgery the healthiest everyone had seen him. He had colour back in his face and was gaining strength in his arms and legs. The LVAD was the perfect bridge to transplant to allow Kolt to be in the best condition to receive a heart transplant.

Exactly one week after the LVAD surgery, the DuPont family received the call no parent could ever forget: the medical team had a heart for Kolt. On June 1, 2022, at only 11 weeks old, Kolt received the gift of life.

As any transplant family knows, Kolt had a difficult road ahead of him. Finally, after seven months of being in the hospital, Kolt came home for the very first time. He was able to spend his first Christmas with his siblings. They giggled, played, and created memories together – finally.

Today, Kolt is still on lots of medications but slowly eliminating a few of them. Bryan and Robin say, “Kolt is doing wonderful, despite everything he’s been through. He is the happiest little guy and will brighten any room with his smile. He is working on his balance and almost sitting up on his own. He is also working on his strength and is able to almost get up on his knees to crawl. He likes to blow bubbles and babble, and he loves to play, especially with his siblings. He absolutely loves music and when we sing to him. His appointments are finally starting to become more spread out which is fantastic. He’s happy to be home.