You have the power to put a smile on 2 sick kids' faces

You have an opportunity to help two Timmins families with sick children

Northern College’s Training Consultant Karen Hamel explains how you can support Kyle Lecuyer and Addison Peters- who are both being treated at Toronto’s Sick Kids Hospital.

Northern College having a clothing sale to support the families travel costs.  Clothing will be collected until Monday April 13^th for the sale following day on April 14th, 2015.

With the funds raised going towards the family’s travel costs – your generous donations will be accepted up until the 13th – with the fundraising sale happening the following day

BACKGROUND INFO:
This is both Kyle and Addison’s second time being sick.

Kyle was diagnosed on Oct. 19, 2011 at the age of 3 years 3 months with Pre B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Addison suffered a brain injury in 2009 due to encephalitis from the flu. It has now happened again causing more inflammation and new lesions on the brain stem and the basal ganglia. Because it is so rare to happen once, it is unheard of to coincidentally happen again. The doctors feel she has a rare metabolic disease. They have sent samples of her DNA for confirmation. These tests are done in Germany and can take a couple of months for the results. Because of where the damage is located in the brain Addie cannot swallow or keep her airway unobstructed. She has been place on a respirator to ensure her airway is clear though she does take the majority of her breaths on her own.  She is also being fed formula by a tube which bypasses her stomach and goes straight to her small intestine.

Addison has had an aggressive course of steroids to bring down the swelling in her brain and seven treatments of plasma exchange (somewhat like blood dialysis but rather than replacing red blood cells, it replaces her antibodies with donor antibodies). This is done through a catheter in her neck. Unfortunately, both the catheter in her neck as well as the ports in her arm developed bacteria and yeast which caused infection and they have now been removed and she is being treated with antibiotics. Once the infection has cleared, Addie will be undergoing surgery to have a tracheotomy installed at the base of her throat where the respirator will be connected rather than through her nose. Once she has healed from that they will perform another surgery to install a port in the stomach to feed her. Then all tubes will be removed from her nasal passages and I’m sure she will be more comfortable. Addie’s mother says although her daughter’s prognosis is “not good”, she is “a fighter and feisty so keep positive thoughts”.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

For those who want to take it one step further – Northern College’s Karen Hamel is encouraging you to drop off homemade cards, books, stuffed animals, jewelry – anything you think could help lift the spirits of these children. These generous donations can be dropped off up until the 13th of April at the Northern College reception desk.

Addison’s mother, Trudy posted an update (below) on her daughter’s progress last night, and you can stay up to date everyday by typing in either of the children’s names on the “Caring Bridge” website. (http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/addisonpeters AND http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/kylelecuyer)

GO FUND ME ADDISON: http://www.gofundme.com/ny9tgk

 GO FUND ME KYLE: http://www.gofundme.com/nrlq60

 Trudy Peters: “Good news. They’ve moved Addie from the ward on critical care into a single room on the pediatric floor. Such a huge change. They were going to place her in another ward room in peds but somehow I sweet talked our way into the single…or maybe Addie’s big brown eyes did the talking! Nonetheless is will make life here far easier. She had physiotherapy today and I must say she is getting stronger every day. With the aid of two people, she sat up on the edge of the bed and was able to hold her head forward with help for 10 seconds. It tires her very quickly and she gets dizzy but it’s such an improvement. The prognosis was so bleak only two weeks ago but she is improving. We just have to get her arms moving and hopefully she will be able to swallow and hold her own airway open in the future which is my dream for her quality of life. A referral has been placed for her to be moved to Bloorview Children’s Rehabilitation Centre which is also in Toronto but that could be weeks in the future.” – Trudy Peters 

FULL STORY: