Nadene has always had a special place in her heart for the Alberta Children’s Hospital. As a student, she volunteered at the old hospital on Richmond Road, and has been a longtime donor, before she even began working for Ovintiv, one of our generous Radiothon sponsors. She never expected the hospital would become such a huge part of their family’s life.
It was summer of 2017 when her daughter Jo, then 12, started feeling unwell. She had attended a weeklong overnight camp at the Royal Tyrell Museum and was exhausted when she was picked up. Her parents thought it was a sign of a fun trip. The next day the family went on vacation and her fatigue continued, along with a stomach pains and yellowing, pale skin. Various doctors they visited tested for mono, West Nile Virus, Celiac, Lyme disease, and one even suspected she was pre-diabetic. Thankfully an urgent care doctor conducted a complete blood count and found she had very low counts. From that clinic, she was transported via ambulance to the Alberta Children’s Hospital. There, more tests confirmed their worst fear: acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Rather than starting Grade 8 with her friends, Jo started chemo — 2 ½ years of treatment. She returned to the hospital up to four times a week for her chemo appointments. What helped get her through those long days in the clinic were her fun nurses she grew fond of and grew friendships with, who would joke around with her, and even have syringe water fights! That picking a toy from the treasure chest and visits from Child Life specialists made her days a little brighter. What also made her journey much easier for the whole family was Hospital at Home, a program made possible by generous donors, that allowed her to have some of her treatments from the comfort of her living room at home. It was a game changer for the family who didn’t have to make the long drive to the hospital up to four times a week and let Jo enjoy the comforts of home like watching movies from her couch.
Thankfully, Jo finished her treatment in December 2019. While she lives with some side effects of her treatment, including anxiety she has now learned to cope with, she is doing well and now a patient of the Long-term Survivor’s Clinic at the hospital.
To Nadene, Jo and their family, the Alberta Children’s Hospital is a safe haven, full of caring, compassionate and skilled specialists who take care of not just the patient but the whole family. They are so grateful for their team who cared for Jo and continue to care for her into adulthood, and the donors who support this hospital and programs like Hospital at Home.
