CHARLOTTE
Children’s Health FoundationIn the fall of 2014, Charlotte knew that she needed help. Her hands were raw from constant washing, she changed her clothes often because she worried that they were contaminated, and she avoided touching money. Thanks to the care she received at Children’s Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre, she was able to quickly start working with a therapist on a treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder. After just three months, Charlotte saw incredible improvement, and is now feeling much better and pursuing her interest in sewing and design.
“I don’t know where we’d be if we hadn’t had someone to get us through. When I look back, it feels like we were in the middle of a tornado –and then all of a sudden we emerged.”
Charlotte's Mom
HUDSON
Alberta Children’s Hospital FoundationSixteen-year-old Hudson wouldn’t be where he is today without the support of the Alberta Children's Hospital team. When medication stopped controlling his tics as a child, he was enrolled in a study that focused on transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in children with Tourette syndrome. The results were life altering, reducing his tics by about 70 per cent, and allowing him to focus on his overall health, including obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety. Now he’s living abroad with his family and credits the hospital’s support with helping him embrace his new life adventures.
“Having the support from the Alberta Children’s Hospital at an early age has helped Hudson through all of these trials and challenges. The struggles are real and they are very hard at times, but there is always a way through when you have the proper support.”
Hudson’s Mom
BAILEY
McMaster Children’s Hospital FoundationBailey, 15, first noticed her mental health challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. The isolation caused by the pandemic compounded her struggles with stress from school and being bullied through texts. Her local ER referred her to the McMaster Children’s Hospital, where she attended weekly visits with a therapist and participated in the I AM SAFE clinical trial. Thanks to the care she received and the coping strategies she learned, Bailey has a new perspective on her mental health and realized that it’s okay to not be okay.
“My time with the program gave me a new perspective on things and showed me that I could change how I think,” says Bailey. “It enabled me to break down my thought process, and it helped me realize that things weighing me down today might not matter so much later.”
Bailey
MADELINE
Jim Pattison Children's Hospital FoundationMadeline’s first year of high school was rocky. Academic and social pressures kept mounting until they became too much for her to handle. She tried to hide it, but it all became overwhelming. In January 2020, it led to her attempting to take her life by suicide. She was rushed to her local ER, who referred her to Jim Pattison Children's Hospital. Mental health intake professionals helped her and her family make an at-home plan. Through ongoing medical, family and friend support she's thriving and hopes by telling her story, it will help others who are struggling.
“After my experience, it was eye-opening and I started to understand my mental health more. Now I know more about how things affect me, what I was going through at that time, and overall I’m feeling a lot better now."
Madeline
ELLY
Montreal Children’s Hospital FoundationWhen Elly was 8 years old, she started to think her body looked different than other kids her age. As a teenager, she dealt with her growing insecurities by binge eating and restricting her food intake. After losing 50 lbs and reaching a dangerously low weight, she was admitted to the Montreal Children's Hospital, and entered the Family Based Treatment (FBT) program, which made all the difference. Elly is feeling much better, and is focused on school and maintaining good mental health.
ROMAN
IWK FoundationDuring the spring of 2021, Roman needed help. He had become increasingly obsessed with exercise and was hiding food in his pockets. Roman's family reached out for help to a community psychologist via Zoom. When he showed signs of total food refusal, his family rushed him to the IWK Emergency Department, where he was referred to the Garron Centre for Child & Adolescent Mental Health. Thanks to this referral, Roman and his family received the care they all needed. Over the course of 10 weeks, Roman began to eat, put on some weight, and feel like himself again.
“Everyone at the IWK was amazing. They coached us and gave us the reassurance we needed to be part of the team helping Roman get better. By the end of our stay, Roman was comfortable there. He loved the nurses. And he started singing and joking around again. The IWK gave us our son back.”
Roman’s Mom
