February 10, 2016
One-year old Aubrey Ghebretsnae is a happy little soul on mom Heather’s lap at the 13th annual Caring for Kids Radiothon in support of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation. Aubrey received life-saving care during her first year of life, says her grateful mom.
Story and photo by Kerri Robins
The Derkson and Ghebretsnae families are but two of the many, many reasons that the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation hosts its Country 105 Caring for Kids Radiothon every year.
The 13th edition of the event ran Feb. 3-5 and raised $1.67 million — part of $20.9 million to date — and for 16-year-old Cole Derkson and his family, to witness such an outpouring of community support is truly overwhelming.
“Cole has been hard at work learning independent living,” says his mom Vicky Derkson. “I’m so proud of him. He’s been through so much, but he’s the happiest kid ever.”
Cole was born with scoliosis (curvature of the spine) and cardiomyopathy (a condition that affects the heart muscle and how it pumps blood). His heart condition caused a cardiac arrest and subsequent brain damage when he was in Grade 6, which necessitated a year in hospital and extensive rehabilitation. As well, he underwent extensive surgeries for his scoliosis and underwent a heart transplant in March 2011.
As a way of saying thank-you, more than 70 families with children who have received life-changing care went on the air to share their story and to praise the staff and physicians at the Alberta Children’s Hospital.
Over the years, radiothon funds have supported family-centred child health programs, specialized life-saving equipment, and advanced pediatric research and education at Alberta Children’s Hospital.
“It’s hard to believe this was our thirteenth radiothon,” says Saifa Koonar, President and CEO of the Alberta Children’s Hospital. “Year after year, this community continues to inspire — and it’s incredible that even in an uncertain economic climate for so many, people still show up for the kids at this hospital. It’s truly humbling.”
The three-day event also featured a power hour that raised funds for a $23,000 CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) Feedback System for the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).
The CPR Feedback System has built-in technology to automate the use of the defibrillators that connect to a pad on the patient’s chest, while a sensor underneath the patient’s back accurately displays the depth and rate of chest compressions performed during CPR.
“We are the first to use the feedback system in Canada and the built-in technology is critical in helping us increase the level of care we provide,” says Dr. Elaine Gilfoyle, a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit physician at the hospital. “The community support we receive for sick kids is outstanding. Our foundation’s work continues to positively impact the care we provide.”
Heather Ghebretsnae says learning CPR is a life-skill, and she says she’s eternally grateful that she knew CPR after having to resuscitate her one-month old daughter Aubrey in March 2015.
“We’ve been privileged to participate in this event because the hospital has been like family,” she says, “and as a first-time mom, I sure appreciate how our team of doctors and nurses ease our anxieties and make sure we have all the information we need for Aubrey’s care.”
Derkson agrees: “I had no idea there was this kind of support at the hospital — I wouldn’t have made it through without them.”
As for Cole, now in Grade 12, he says with confidence that he’s doing great and has big plans for his future: “I’m going to be a forensic scientist when I finish high school.”
For more information, please visit childrenshospital.ab.ca
