Since 1991 CHEO’s Dream of a Lifetime Lottery has been making dreams comes true for ticket buyers by giving away over $32 million worth of prizes. While the lottery has changed the lives of many winners over the years, the more important fact is that the Dream of a Lifetime Lottery keeps making a difference in the lives of the thousands of children and youth who rely on CHEO each and every month. Baby Ellie is one of those patients and her parents share their story as a shining example of the difference CHEO makes, and why your support of the Dream of a Lifetime Lottery is so important.
Picture a beautiful young couple, a new home complete with a dog and a baby on the way. Life was picturesque until a routine ultrasound revealed something worrisome. It appeared that the developing fetus had an empty stomach. After weekly ultrasounds and no visual confirmation of a developing stomach, something was definitely wrong. "It was quite a shock," says mom Renée. "It’s certainly not how you expect your first pregnancy to unfold."
It turned out their baby had a rare birth defect called Esophageal Atresia (EA). Simply put, their child’s esophagus was closed and not connected to the stomach. This defect affects about one in 4,000 babies.
Affected babies are able to swallow, but because of the closure there is nowhere for food to go – except back up and out. Although the baby will grow and the gap will shorten slightly, surgery is almost always necessary to join the esophagus to the stomach. In Ellie’s case, the gap was so large her stomach had to be moved up into her chest, a procedure known as a gastric pull-up. On the very day she was born, December 15, 2010, Ellie was transferred to CHEO’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). There she began feeding through a gastronomy tube to ensure she received all the nutrients necessary to make her strong enough for the delicate surgery. Neonatal specialists, nurses and surgeons were on hand daily to observe Ellie’s progress. After three months Ellie was given the green light for surgery.
"The nurses in the NICU were so caring and compassionate. They not only cared for our daughter, but they looked after us too," says Renée. "Seeing our tiny baby go through all of this was difficult, not to mention how helpless it made you feel," adds Glenn. "The nurses taught us how to care for our baby’s feeding tube, change her dressings and all the medical stuff that came with her condition, but we also got to care for her as every parent cares for their child. It was quite the learning curve, but we never felt alone in this. The staff at CHEO was there for our family."
On May 6, 2011, after spending the first five months of her life at CHEO, Ellie finally went home. While she still needs to visit CHEO for checkups with the gastroenterology team, her recovery has been brisk.
"Ellie is a very happy and healthy baby. We are thrilled to have her home," adds Renée. "There is nothing better than waking up every morning to her smiling face - and when I see Glenn playing with her and hear her laughing, I feel like all is as it should be."
Thanks to your support of the Dream of a Lifetime Lottery children, like Ellie, receive the care they need and deserve. We thank you and wish you luck in the draws.
