How we give back with the SickKids Foundation

When my son was born, he was considered a "high risk" pregnancy due to his mother's age primarily. He was born healthy; however, in time, his pediatrician noticed an issue during his regular examinations that she felt would be best served by the skilled team at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. When you arrive there, it can be intimidating not knowing what to expect. The people at the hospital are outstanding in allaying your fears. They make your child feel like it's their own. They are kind, compassionate, and very caring. He required several follow-up visits, first every few months, then every six, and eventually, there was no need.

How can one put a price at the level of compassion, professionalism, and comfort a parent feels in the hands of this world-class hospital? I am sure countless individuals can echo my story over the years. I am thankful to be among them!

My daughter Dharma was being looked after by Sick Kids when she was younger. We've visited the hospital on many occasions.

She was a full-term baby, but she had issues when she was born. She was born in England, UK, and had pulmonary hypertension and acidosis at the time of her birth. She had trouble breathing; within 20 mins of her birth, she was on a ventilator in the NICU. The doctors said her condition was critical, and it was touch and go for the next 24 hours. I was recovering in the postnatal ward, and the following morning, they called us upstairs to say goodbye to her as her condition was deteriorating. It was scary to watch... one of the doctors had asked us the previous day if we would prefer to switch her breathing apparatus off as her chances of survival were so slim. They said that even if she survived, there were high chances that she would be in a vegetative state as there had been no oxygen going to her brain for so many minutes. We both decided that we wanted to keep trying. That day when we went upstairs to say goodbye, the doctor was pumping her with a handheld vacuum pump.

After that, we waited, and it was a miracle. A team of doctors arrived from Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) and managed to stabilize her condition within 40 minutes. They took three hours to equip her onto the ambulance equipment and transported her to GOSH.

Source: Polaroid of Dharma from her baby book, taken by a nurse from GOSH. This is the first time Bela held her daughter at a few days old.

She stayed at GOSH for a week and was transferred back to the local hospital. I would spend all day there and even take trips at 4:00 am to express milk. She stayed for three weeks and was later diagnosed with oesophagitis due to all the tubes up her nose and throat. When she began weaning onto solids, we discovered that she was allergic to most things.

When we moved to Toronto in 2006, my daughter was three years old, and we took her to SickKids for check ups regularly. She also had several endoscopies and gastroscopies done to ascertain all her troubles.

SickKids has had a profound impact on my quality of life. The hospital's world-class team is the reason I have vision today. Without them, I very likely would be completely blind. At 8 hours old, I had my first ophthalmology appointment. I was diagnosed with pediatric congenital glaucoma, meaning I had glaucoma in both eyes from birth. At this point, it was recommended by the team at CHEO in Ottawa that I be airlifted to SickKids in Toronto, the hospital where the preeminent neonatal glaucoma specialist in Canada practiced. At 8 and 12 days old, I underwent multiple complex surgeries on both my eyes. Those surgeries' success and coordination efforts between top Canadian pediatric ophthalmologists saved my vision and enabled me to get to where I am today. Envoi donating to SickKids will aid in ensuring access to world-class specialized children's healthcare for years to come.

SickKids is an organization worth committing to as we care about investing in children's health and future. The work of SickKids touches every Canadian directly or indirectly, including members of our team. The Envoi staff can donate a portion of their stock options along with our pledge for additional contributions, but we are simply happy to contribute to a space that has, and continues to, take care of them and their families.

After all, our children are our future. If Envoi can do even a tiny bit to ensure that future kids get the best possible chance to thrive, that is an impact that we can all be proud of.