Miracle Treat Day!

     This past Thursday, Dairy Queen’s all across Canada and the United States celebrated Miracle Treat Day. .For every blizzard bought that day, the proceeds go to your local Children’s Hospital. That’s right! You are ACTUALLY doing a good deed by eating ice cream!  It’s like having your cake (or…blizzard) and eating it too!

I look forward to MiracleTreat Day every summer, and not just because I LOVE blizzards.  Children’s Hospitals holds a very place in my heart, and in the hearts of my family members. After being diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at a year old  I was followed by a huge team of doctors, and other specialists until I was 18. The first few years of my childhood were full of assessments at Alberta Children’s, checking for the  milestones I hit, and the ones I needed help to achieve. The doctors and nurses there felt like extended family who embraced us with open arms; and  gave my mom a light at the end of the tunnel after my diagnosis. 

Now that I think about it, The Alberta Children’s Hospital pulled all our family together, right when we needed it and we are all connected to it in some way. Before I was born, my Grandma volunteered at  “Emily’s Window”, a store that raises money for the hospital. Years later, when I had to go to the childrens for appointments, Grandma would always march in there with us, with her head held high like she meant business. She had been there before, and knew exactly what she was doing, which was a big help to my mom. 

      My mom worked at Windermere Valley Golfcourse that held “Tiger Open” tournaments every year  to raise money for the hospital, and at a young age  my sister and I volunteered there with her, usually handing out cookies. 

     When I was two and a half, I had to have surgery on my legs to lengthen my ligaments. Both my legs were casted, and there was a bar put between them, to stretch my hamstrings. After I had the casts taken off, witch was a very scary, and loud  process, The Chidrens’ wanted to follow me for about a year and a half to help me get  strength back in my legs, so my family picked up and moved from Invermere to Calgary, and my favorite aunt, Joanne, and my cousin, Stephanie took us in. Dad had to find a new job, and adjust to city life. It was a big move, but we made many great memories in the city, including the birth of my little sister.  I am so grateful for the changes my family was willing to make to get me the kind of help I needed in my early years

. I will also always be grateful to all the doctors and therapists who helped inspire my determination and independence. I still remember my physiotherapist. She was tough! She made me work hard at my exercises, but she always believed in me. She would sing  nursery rhymes with me, so I would focus on words to songs, instead of my stretches, cause sometimes they really hurt!  I had an Orthopedic Surgeon, who  performed my surgeries, and made my casts and leg braces. . When you touched Dr. Kieffers’  nose, it beeped, and lit up like Rudolph’s.  I was always inspired by how much the doctors cared for kids with diverse abilities. I do hope to go back and visit the Children’s  Hospital one day; maybe volunteer with something, or talk to some parents of newly diagnosed kids to give them some sort of hope. 

At The Children’s, there are all sorts of kids there, with all sorts of struggles. For someone who has any kind of diverse ability, it definitely makes them feel like they are not alone, and for me, it opened my eyes, and made me realize how fortunate I am to have the abilities I have, and not live with daily pain. 

I also remember the fun playrooms at the Chidrens’ my sister and I played in,  the cafeteria that had mobile aircrafts hanging from the ceiling, and the daycare center when my sister got to go play in, while mom and I went for appointments.

I was so fortunate to spend my last few appointments at the new Children’s Hospital! My family and I thought it was amazing; so big and colorful! The best part was that children who used the hospital actually helped design it. It  looks like it’s for kids;  a place to help them feel comfortable when they have to come for overnight stays at the hospital. 

My life experiences have made me so grateful for doctors,nurses  and anyone who works at a Children’s Hospital. I can’t imagine the job would be an easy one, but a lot of them work with big smiles on their faces to help keep kids' spirits up. Thank you for all you do,  Children's Hospital staff, and for helping my family and I make wonderful memories! You are superheroes!

Miracle Treat day has come and gone now, but next year, be sure to  mark the day on your calendars , think of my story, and go get yourself a delicious blizzard!   You deserve it, and so do the kids  and the staff at Children’s Hospital!