More Great Stories about the Hospital

If you’ve enjoyed reading Paige’s blog, we suggest you take a peek at http://bcchf.wordpress.com/, where you’ll be able to follow Paige’s story, get the inside scoop on current patients, and keep up with medical breakthroughs here at our very own BC Children’s Hospital.

All the best for a wonderful holiday season and Merry Christmas from BC Children’s Hospital Foundation!

Paige: Christmas Wish for a World Without Cancer

My fight with childhood cancer has proven to be quite a journey so far.  With my present so dramatically changed, it also sent a ripple effect into my future.  There is a great deal of uncertainty I have to face, but don’t we all!  I just have a few extra cards stacked against me.  The game’s not over yet. 

 I have learned a lot in the past couple of years.  I have endured even more.  Though I have sustained some physical and emotional damage, I would like to think that in many ways I emerged as a stronger, more aware individual.  My plans for the future changed along with everything else.  I had different career goals in mind as well as personal goals I wanted to achieve.  I learned that cancer can touch any one of us at any time.  No one is immune, no one is exempt.  Cancer isn’t picky. 

Through my journey with cancer, I learned to fight the fight, stay positive, never give up hope, and never lose faith.  I choose to see the beauty in everything, and see each day as a precious gift, never to be taken for granted.  Life can change in the blink of an eye.  I don’t want to miss a thing.  I want no regrets.

It is for these reasons that I made a promise to myself that I would do my part in the fight to find the cure.  I would continue to do my fundraising, raise awareness, and hopefully bring hope to families going through a similar ordeal.  I am hoping that my story will help enlighten others of what it is like for children struggling through a life threatening illness.  I wanted other children to know and take comfort in the knowledge that they are not alone.  It is my wish that my story will raise even a little awareness of the incredibly brave child warriors in our midst.

I would also like people to know how incredible BC Children’s Hospital and staff are.  I for one would not be alive today without their expertise.  It is my sincere hope that people will see how essential BC Children’s Hospital is and how important it is to keep the amazing calibre of doctors on staff.  With the growing number of children being treated there, funding is always an issue.  In order to keep up with the new technology and the need for more space, more funding is necessary.

This will be my last blog as Christmas is right around the corner.  I spent one Christmas and New Years at BC Children’s Hospital so my thoughts and heart are with all the children in hospital this Christmas season.  I live my life with hope in my heart.  Hope for a world where all children can play.  Hope for a world where children are not robbed of their childhoods.  Hope for a world where children and adults alike no longer fear the word cancer.  Hope for a world where cancer no longer exists. I guess that is my Christmas wish this year.  Thanks for following along, and thank you for all your support to BC Children’s Hospital and helping to save the lives of children just like me.  A Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Love,

Paige

An Interview with Nurse Alan

In Paige’s last post, she introduced us to some of the caregivers who made a real difference to her at BC Children’s Hospital. I don’t know about you, but we at the Foundation couldn’t help but feel curious about Alan, the oncology nurse whose antics – rapping and syringe water fight, to name but two - Paige said she’d need hours to do justice to. 

After an introduction like that, what other option did we have but to track down Alan and ask him to explain himself? We traced Alan to the oncology ward, where he was hard at work, and demanded to know more about his wacky exploits, zany humour, and talent for cheering up the Hospital’s sickest patients. 

A busy man at the best of times, Alan nevertheless found a few minutes to answer our questions and even offered up a snapshot of himself. 

Is this nurse a cool customer, or what?

Says Alan of this particular shot, “A parent put it on for me when I asked him if wearing one made his head hot… He told me I looked like Prof. Quirrell with Voldemort in the back of my head!” 

Now, without further ado, here are the highlights from our interview with Alan:

BACKGROUND:
I’ve worked in Oncology at BC Children’s Hospital since the beginning of 1991 – and I’ve been a registered nurse since 1980. (Yes, I’m a dinosaur!) Actually, I’ve worked in the UK, United Arab Emirates and at SickKids in Toronto, but always with children.

TRAINING:
I trained in Hull, England, where I was born. I did my general nurse training over three years and followed that with a further year to become a Registered Sick Children’s Nurse. 

 FAMILY/PERSONAL PICTURE:
I was born in Hull, Yorkshire, England. I will have been married for 25 years in February 2010 (My wife is either a saint or very foolish.) I have a daughter, Rhiannon, who started university this year. (All donations toward tuition gratefully accepted!) Also, I had a cat, but don’t have one now: it got drunk on catnip one Christmas, moved in with the neighbors, and never came back. Go figure.

WHAT YOU’D NEVER KNOW ABOUT ME:
I’m really weird. (Oops, everyone knows that!!!!!) And I absolutely hate to dance. It’s not that I can’t dance; I just dislike it. But I like to cook. 

WHY I BECAME A NURSE:
When my Grandma was very ill, I was really impressed with her homecare nurse. I guess she inspired me to join the club. 

IF I DIDN’T HAVE TO BE AT WORK:
I’d probably go back to school and do something like fine carpentry. Then, I’d have to quit when I ran out of fingers! 

SECRET FANTASY:
Have enough money and time to just drop everything and travel wherever and whenever I liked. I’d also like to own an Aston Martin DB9. (I couldn’t afford the car, the insurance or the speeding tickets.) 

HOBBIES:
Football. (The real one, where you actually kick the ball. Soccer to other folks). I love to ski. I manage not to fall off a wakeboard every summer, and I’m a classic rock junkie. 

PHILOSOPHY:
The day I come to work and can’t have fun with the kids, it’s time to quit. 

ALAN ON PAIGE:
The first time I ever met Paige, she was a patient in the postoperative unit on 3R, having just had surgery and a VAD (Venous Access Device) inserted into her chest. I was called over to 3R, as the staff was having difficulty putting a new needle into this device. 

I made light of the situation and managed to put the needle in. From then, on Paige and I just had this friendship. Funnily enough, I can think of only one time when I was actually assigned as her nurse, yet we always seemed to seek each other out and have a good laugh about something. 

The first time I heard her sing was a wonderful thing. Hearing this great voice come out of such a small package was brilliant. 

Paige: Meet My Extended Family

During my treatments, I established a connection with quite a few caregivers at BC Children’s Hospital.  I would love to share some of these experiences with you.  I hope it will give you all some idea of the kind of doctors, nurses, and staff we are privileged to have caring for the children of our province.

Dr. Dix was my oncologist. Not only did I trust Dr. Dix with my life, he is the sweetest doctor in the world, and his warm heart reminds me of a loveable teddy bear.  I hope I am allowed to say that!  Oh well, the secret is out of the bag now!  Dr Ewa was my fellow oncologist and was in charge of my care under Dr. Dix.  Dr. Ewa is the sweetest, smartest, most caring doctor.  I am grateful to have had her as my fellow and one day she will be the best mom to some very lucky children.  Dr. Ewa, Dr. Rebecca, nurse Juliana, and Andrea, one of the social workers, actually attended two of my school plays.  It was the nicest, kindest thing they could have done for me during my treatments and it meant the world to me.  The staff at the hospital genuinely care about each and every child that enters those doors.In neurology, I became very close to a nurse named Melissa.  She would always cheer me up and, man, could she make me laugh!  When I was moved to the oncology ward, Melissa would come by after her shift and stay and visit with me.  I love her like a big sister.  There were so many nurses that I formed close relationships with – like Carrie, Coral, Andy, and Cecelia, just to name a few. 

There was also one of the oncology nurses named Alan that I will remember forever.  If he was on shift, you knew it.  That was because he would make every child on the ward laugh and would brighten up our day.  I could tell you stories about Alan and his attempts at rapping, the syringe water fight, short sheeting my bed (he apparently took pity on me that day because he usually fills them with cheerios, too)… but I’ll have to stop there, because it would take hours to do Alan and his antics any real justice.I will always visit Jack and Lorri, the hospital school teachers, along with Dan from Balding for Dollars.

Mark, my almost big brother

  Last but not least, one of my closest friends at the hospital was Mark, one of the staff at the Starbucks at BC Children’s Hospital.

During my treatments, Mark kept my parents together, and I am grateful for all his after-shift visits and goodies.  Mark is the big brother I never had and am fortunate to have now.   

It is safe to say that I have met and become connected with many of the staff at BC Children’s Hospital.  I would like to thank them for all their support and caring.  They have become my extended family and I love each and every one of them.

There’s a Heck of a Lot of Medicine in Fun

Robin Williams as Patch Adams

Who can forget Robin Williams’s performance as the brilliant, tender-hearted and wickedly funny Patch Adams in the 1998 movie of the same name? The movie is loosely based on the story of the real Patch Adams, a maverick medical student who reaches out to patients with love and a heaping dose of humour, bringing joy and release to sick people and their caregivers in a US hospital.

A recent picture of the real Patch Adams at work (and play)

Patch Adams is no one-hit wonder. Laughter truly is a medicine of sorts: studies show that humour in hospitals can reduce stress for patients, families and caregivers alike. It eases tension, increases cooperation and distracts patients from painful procedures. Best of all, it’s a real mood and morale booster for everyone. 

The benefits of laughter and goofiness are old news to BC Children’s Hospital, where two beloved clowns, Doc Willikers and Ms. Phizzio Fit – FrizzioTherapist, better known as “Fizzie,” have a long history of tickling patients’ funny bones and chasing away tears. These zany healers are specially trained to work in medical settings, cheering up young patients like Paige with music, magic tricks, crazy costumes, bubbles and face paint.

Interestingly, therapeutic clowns like Doc Willikers and Fizzie are usually professional entertainers, not physicians. Their antics may also help sick children to understand their feelings and come to terms with an illness, as this youtube clip from the tv program Healing Quest suggests.

Doc Willikers & Fizzie

If we’ve piqued your interest in our Hospital’s clown therapy program, we recommend that you take a moment to read Milton Kiang’s article in the Georgia Straight profiling our very own Doc Willikers, or Paul Hooson, as he’s called when he steps out of his oversize shoes. You’ll learn quite a bit about clown therapy, and you’ll find out what keeps this outstanding clown coming back year after year to deliver grins to sick kids like Paige.

Paige: It’s Important to Have a Hospital for Kids

Until I was diagnosed with cancer, I really had no idea of what went on at BC Children’s Hospital.  After having been through treatments, I can’t express enough how grateful I am to have a hospital like BC Children’s Hospital.  I know adults who have been ill, or are battling cancer.  They have spoken to me often, and shared with me the knowledge that they are worried and scared for their lives.  I know exactly what they mean.  If adults are scared you can just imagine how we as children are feeling.  I can’t imagine going through treatments in a hospital for adults, in an adult environment.

If you’ve ever been in Children’s Hospital, you will have noticed that it is totally geared towards children.  It is bright and colourful, cheerful, and child friendly.  It is a lot less intimidating for children who are sent there for care.  Nurses wear uniforms that have cartoon and Disney characters on them and they are not as formal.  It is an environment that is meant to put children at ease. 

BC Children’s Hospital has all the services a child needs.  It is set up to treat kids of every age and helps them physically as well as emotionally.  It provides children the opportunity to keep up their school work as well as other forms of therapy such as music and art therapy.  When I was in care I even got to have a few sessions with a child psychologist.  All the doctors and nurses are specialized to treat children and are very good at dealing with us. 

One very important thing that BC Children’s Hospital provides that is not allowed at other hospitals is that they ensure every child can have one parent to room in with them.  I can’t tell you how valuable and necessary it was for me to be able to have my mom with me at my side for all my treatments.  I was really scared and worried and having my mom with me made my hospital stays more bearable and less terrifying.  If you were to have a critically ill child, would you want them treated anywhere else?  I know I wouldn’t.  I would want my child to have the best possible care, and that is at BC Children’s Hospital.

Giving Back

 In her most recent post, Paige described how much she enjoyed hosting the Miracle Weekend telethon this past June. (Here is some footage of Paige being interviewed at the telethon – what a natural!) This is one of many ways Paige shows her appreciation for the fantastic care and support she received during her stay on the oncology ward. 

As you might expect, many past patients maintain strong ties to BC Children’s Hospital. Quite a few of them make regular visits here to the caregivers who treated them. Others give their time to support the new kids on the block – young patients who have just arrived and may be feeling scared and disoriented. Still others are thrilled to be returning to the Hospital as caregivers themselves. Take Laura Wardlaw, for example.

Laura Wardlaw in her scrubs

Laura is finishing up her nursing degree with the hope that she will one day return to BC Children’s Hospital – with one big difference. This time she will be the one providing the care.

Laura first came to the Hospital 21 years ago, born 10 weeks premature and weighing only 1.2 kilograms – about the weight of a hardcover textbook. Nurses and doctors used all their skills to save Laura’s life and their success set Laura on a journey that would take her full circle.

‘I always knew that I had to do something meaningful with my life’ says Laura, who was treated around-the-clock and made a heroic recovery. As a nurse, Laura will fill a crucial role in the province.

Baby Laura as a tiny patient at the Hospital

The BC Nurses’ Union estimates there is a shortage of 2,000 nurses in BC. With about one-third of BC’s nurses eligible to retire in the next five years, the shortage is expected to become even more severe. 

Laura looks forward to finishing her studies and working with the kids. ‘The difference that the Hospital has made in my life has really led me full circle. I think it’s a beautiful thing.’

Paige: Behind the Scenes at Miracle Weekend

Through my journey with cancer, I was fortunate to share my story with many children, adults, and organizations.  Having this opportunity was not only therapeutic for me, but also gave me something positive to focus on.  I guess it was my way of taking a bad thing and turning it into something good.

I was very privileged to be asked to participate in two Miracle Weekend Telethons at BC Children’s Hospital.  It was a lot of fun, and I am very grateful to have been a small part of such an amazing event.

Miracle Weekend 2009

Just in case you are curious, yes, the Global TV News staff are as wonderful  as they appear to be.

BC Children’s Hospital staff, Foundation staff, and Global TV staff made me feel like a real part of the team.  It was important to me to be able to be involved with Miracle Weekend.  Having been through treatments at the hospital, I know how imperative the services they provide there really are.  I hoped that having the opportunity to share my experiences at Children’s Hospital would help raise awareness and support.

Many of my friends at school have asked me why I am still so involved and connected to BC Children’s Hospital.  That is an easy question for me to answer.  I am alive today because of BC Children’s Hospital, their amazing doctors, nurses, staff, and all of the generous people like you who continue to support them.  Quite honestly, the staff at BC Children’s Hospital are my extended family.  I am a lifer there, and will continue to have follow-up appointments and treatment for the rest of my life.  I am also committed to doing what I can to give hope and raise awareness, and will continue to be connected to the Hospital in any way I can.

Notes from the Hospital Schoolroom

Paige: School Doesn’t Have to Stop When You’re Sick!

I’m not your typical teenager in the sense that I truly love school.  I’m not afraid of hard work, and take pride in my accomplishments.  My mom tells me I set my goals extremely high, and sometimes she worries that I put too much pressure on myself.  I really don’t see it as pressure; I just love to get top grades.

When I was diagnosed with cancer, I was concerned that I would fail my grade 5 year.  The school year was only 3 months in when I could no longer attend.  My parents made arrangements with my elementary school to pick up my work load every week, and drop off the completed work once a week as well.  I knew it was going to be difficult to do my schooling without a teacher for instruction and guidance.  My mom did a great job of explaining most things.  I was staying on track but I really missed going to school and being with my friends.

One day while in hospital for treatments, one of the school teachers at BC Children’s Hospital came to my room.  He explained that there was a classroom in the next ward where I could attend class and the teachers on hand could assist me with my lessons.  He also said that if I wasn’t well enough to attend class, he could arrange for a teacher to come to my room.

I went down to the Schoolroom several times when I was in care.  Jack and Lorri, the teachers at BC Children’s Hospital, were amazing.  It was really helpful to have teachers available to assist me with my schoolwork instead of having to struggle with it on my own.  Having a classroom at the hospital also provided me with a sense of normalcy and comfort.

At the end of the school year, I stopped in to see Jack and Lorri and show them my straight “A” report card.  They were sincerely interested in how I had done and even posted a copy in the school room.

I am very grateful that BC Children’s Hospital provides children like me with an opportunity to continue our education through School Services.  I have since completed grade 6, skipped grade 7, and started grade 8 a year early.  Recently, we had our awards ceremony and I am proud to say I received 8 academic achievement awards.  On my next visit in to Children’s, I will be sure to visit Jack and Lorri and share the good news.