Positive reception for Radiothons

Annual Edmonton, Calgary events raise millions for children’s hospitals

Story by Erin Martinez and Michelle Willcott

Radio listeners in Edmonton have the opportunity to tune in and help care for kids in the city’s children’s hospital.

The Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation will once again ask Albertans to tune in to stations owned by CORUS Radio Alberta on Feb. 28 and Feb. 29 to hear stories about families that have been helped by the Stollery.

“Over the years, Radiothon has brought patients and listeners closer together by bringing the stories to life for everyone to hear. There are many miracles at the Stollery Children’s Hospital and they happen every day. Having CORUS Radio Edmonton help us share those stories is a tremendous gift,” says Jennifer Wood, President & CEO of the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation.

“CORUS’ commitment to helping children is something everyone within their organization can be proud of.”

Earlier this month, the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation wrapped up its Caring for Kids Radiothon in Calgary, which raised more than $1.9 million.

To date, the annual Caring for Kids Radiothon in Calgary and the CORUS Radiothon in Edmonton have raised about $28 million for the two children’s hospitals. The funds raised are used to help fund life-saving equipment, innovative child health programs and advanced child health research for each hospital.

This year’s CORUS Radiothon ambassador is 12-year old Josh Hui, who benefited from the care of the Stollery Children’s Hospital when he was an infant.

Josh was born a healthy eight-pound, four-ounce boy. But at two months of age, his mom, Nora, noticed his eyes were changing colour.

“The whites of his eyes turned a cream colour,” she says. She pointed this out to her family doctor, who ordered blood tests right away.

The results were serious enough for Josh to be sent to the emergency room. Further tests diagnosed him with biliary atresia, a rare liver disorder. Some of the bile ducts were missing and others were blocked, causing toxins to back up into the liver, which created serious scarring. Doctors say it’s rare that Josh showed no symptoms of this condition, other than in the whites of his eyes.

“He had a 70 per cent chance of needing a liver transplant,” says Nora. “Things weren’t looking that hopeful.”

In the meantime, doctors performed an emergency, temporary procedure, taking part of Josh’s bowel and attaching it to his liver to act like a large bile duct. He was monitored for the next four to six months for signs of liver failure. But those signs never came.

“He just grew by leaps and bounds,” says his mom. “He’s growing steadily still and now at 12 years old, he’s in junior high and still playing hockey.”

Doctors feel Josh will need a liver transplant someday, so they continue to monitor him at the Stollery Children’s Hospital. But for now, this Grade 7 student can enjoy the things he loves: hockey, hockey and, of course, more hockey.

“He wasn’t supposed to do so well,” says Nora of her ‘Not So Little Anymore’ Miracle. “The exceptional care that we have received at the Stollery Children’s Hospital has made a huge difference in Josh’s life.”

For more information about Radiothon in Edmonton, airing on CISN Country 103.9, 92.5 JOE FM and 630 CHED, visit www.stollerykids.ca  

For more information about Radiothon in Calgary, visit www.kidsradiothon.com  

Other Radiothons took place across the province this month. The Care from the Heart Radioathon ran Feb.16 at the Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge. In Fort McMurray, the Have a Heart Radiothon took place Feb. 21, which raised funds for Northern Lights Health Foundation.