ANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019 Once Upon a Time
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ANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019 Once Upon a Time Our IWK story begins with the generosity of our donors. Over the last 100 years, the IWK has relied upon the community to ensure Maritime women, children and families have access to the best possible care. From This annual report belongs to: the generous gift made by the family of Izaak Walton Killam, to the recent completion of our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, you have always been there, right by our side. The best care begins with you. In this report, you will read the amazing stories of some of the patients, caregivers and donors who, like you, make the IWK a special place. They—and you—represent “Team IWK” who ensure the IWK is always there for our Maritime community. Thank you for investing in the care of our region’s women, children and youth. Thank you for helping patients today and for generations to come— so that they too can have a future full of potential and possibilities. Thank you for being a part of the magic that is the IWK. Jennifer Gillivan President & CEO she may have caught a virus in utero, but Although they still have a long road a blood test showed that her white blood ahead, Eleri’s parents, Deana Sarchfield A New cell counts were extremely high. Eleri had and Adrian Pembridge, dream of the day leukemia. when Eleri can join her three older sisters, Seren, Elin and Nia, at home where she Beginningot so long ago, a new Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Eleri was immediately airlifted from will continue the maintenance phase of her (NICU) opened at the IWK, allowing families and Fredericton, NB, to the IWK where she was treatment in partnership with the IWK. Ntheir newborns to stay together. diagnosed with congenital pre-B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. She was admitted “Eleri’s diagnosis was truly a nightmare, Imagine as a parent you must leave your tiny baby at night to NICU North. At just five days old, Eleri but being here has given me hope. And because there is no place for you to sleep by your child’s started chemotherapy, beginning what will be the hope is now getting me through, and side. The walk to the parking lot is heart-breaking. a year-long hospital stay to receive four rounds making me realize that we can do this,” You don’t have to imagine that anymore, thanks to the of intensive chemotherapy. Halfway through says Deana, Eleri’s mom. generosity of 749 donors. These donors have funded a her treatment, Eleri’s family received the world-class unit where families become an active part of wonderful news that her cancer is in remission. their baby’s care. From sleeping in the rooms with their Recently, the NICU set a new precious child, to participating in medical rounds, to infection management record, partnering with the nurse and healthcare team—families going an incredible 53 weeks can now be there every step of the way. without a patient contracting a central line-associated This summer, NICU South opened completing bloodstream infection. Since the amazing 100 per cent donor-funded NICU the 1990s the unit’s previous transformation at the IWK. This brings the total record was 40 weeks. This number of private rooms for NICU families to record was set while the team 38, making a huge impact on patient outcomes moved patients into the new and all families that require intensive care for NICU North and was able their newborns—families like Eleri Pembridge’s. to be maintained, in part, by the high level of infection When Eleri was born, she was covered with a Learn more about Eleri’s story at control in the design of the red rash and blue spots. The doctors initially thought iwkfoundation.org/nicun redeveloped NICU. exposure and increase privacy. These Through the phenomenal support of improvements will change the lives of donors, like you, we can continue to ensure In those critically-ill patients, like Charlotte teBogt. that this important facility is only a car, ambulance or helicopter ride away for any Within a month of her birth, Charlotte’s Critical Moments... Maritime patient in need. family became alarmed when their beloved baby became very fussy, wasn’t eating well magine as a parent, you find yourself and was vomiting frequently. When doctors in the intensive care unit with your found a heart murmur, the Grand Pre, NS, Ichild fighting for their life. It’s not family was immediately sent to the IWK. In the PICU, 50 per something anyone expects to happen, Here, Charlotte was diagnosed with two but when it does you would want an cent of admissions are congenital heart conditions and was quickly internationally-leading, state-of-the-art unplanned. So while admitted to the PICU where the team facility for your child. closely monitored her heart. Charlotte some patients are The IWK needs a fully-renovated Pediatric needed to have surgery immediately. scheduled for a stay Learn more about Charlotte’s story at Intensive Care Unit (PICU) by 2020 and Doctors repaired one of her conditions before or after a surgery, iwkfoundation.org/charlotte we need community heroes, like you, to and waited to fix the other until she gained step up and make this story a reality. weight. A few months later, Charlotte had others are admitted as a “The IWK is magical and it her second surgery and is now at home with Like the NICU, this leading unit will include result of a sudden illness creates miracles every single her family and getting stronger every day. 10 private rooms, allowing families to or accident. All of these day. I don’t know how anyone stay together day and night. Even more patients are in need of would ever be able to get by than that, these rooms will provide better without an IWK.” protection from infection, reduce noise critical, life-saving care. – Lindsay teBogt, Charlotte’s mom touching anything. He also wouldn’t eat or drink. Andrew’s hand-washing left his hands brittle, cracked and raw. During his time at the Garron Centre, The Road to his health care team helped Andrew balance the proper medication with exposure therapy. Through this style of therapy, Andrew would touch various Feeling Better liquid substances and learned to manage his compulsions with the support of his hat if there were a healing place for youth and children psychologist. who need inpatient care for mental health treatment? W And what if that place were a nationally-recognized Today, Andrew is a student at Nova facility right here at the IWK? The Garron Centre for Child & Scotia Community College. He is Adolescent Mental Health is such a place. managing his OCD and is able to enjoy spending time with his friends and And it is 100 per cent donor-funded. Learn more about Andrew’s story at playing basketball. iwkfoundation.org/andrew The Garron Centre is called upon by our pediatric partners across Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and Ontario, as a model to shape and redesign other Canadian acute mental health and addiction units. Since its opening five years ago, the Garron Centre has treated hundreds of patients from “I went from not across the Maritime region, including Andrew Leitch. having a life at all to Eighteen-year-old Andrew, from Dartmouth, NS, lives with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). being able to live a life When he was admitted to the Garron Centre, that I want to live.” Andrew focussed on avoiding contamination to his hands. His need to keep his hands clean was - Andrew Leitch so strong that Andrew would lay in bed for days with his arms crossed over his chest to avoid In addition to her surgeries, Kelly has received a bone scan, two MRIs, two CT scans and two Employee, Patient, additional mammograms, all at the IWK. She also completed six rounds of chemotherapy, 25 radiation treatments and 18 infusions of Donor, Survivor a targeted drug therapy through the Nova Kelly's Journey Scotia Cancer Centre. To celebrate completing chemotherapy and radiation, Kelly held a party with close “Throughout the course of As staff at the IWK Foundation many of us breastfeeding and was confident that these family and friends and asked her guests have taken our children to the IWK and even lumps were likely clogged milk ducts. to bring a donation for the IWK’s Breast my cancer treatment, I had an been patients at the Health Centre ourselves. Health Centre. Together they raised $1,665. incredible amount of support However, her results showed the lumps from my family and friends. Two years ago, a cancer diagnosis resonated were invasive ductal carcinoma—the most Today, Kelly has returned to work and When I finished the main through our office. After 10 years of working common form of breast cancer. At 31 years the IWK Foundation team was thrilled to with patients, families, donors and the IWK old, Kelly, a happily-married mother of two welcome her back. portion of my treatment, it was Health Centre, one of our own needed the children, had stage III breast cancer. important for me to celebrate From the whole IWK Foundation team— very services she worked so hard to ensure how far I had come and that I Kelly underwent a mastectomy and later an thank you for ensuring that facilities like were there for Maritime patients. had survived. I was also very axillary node dissection to remove the lymph the IWK Breast Health Centre are here to This is the story of how Team IWK became nodes under her armpit.