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• Our Committment Continues
• Fit today for a better tomorrow
• Baby Jade's Journey of Hope
• A Celebration of Research
Baby Jade's Journey of Hope
How one father's newborn daughter becomes his inspiration to give back.
Thousands of babies are born in Ottawa each year. Each birth is special and all parents prepare for their new baby's arrival. First time parents Sherry and Charles-Antoine Rozon were like all typical expectant parents, back in August 2007 as they anticipated the birth of their first child. Diapers, crib, stroller – bring baby home. That was the plan.
"We had no idea this was coming," says Charles-Antoine. The couple's 20 week ultrasound had been unable to detect their unborn baby's bladder, but no one was too alarmed. "We returned for a second ultrasound and the technician found the bladder this time," explains Charles-Antoine. "She said it was just very small."
On August 9, 2007 Sherry delivered a full term baby girl named Jade at the Montfort hospital.
What had been perceived as a small bladder on the ultrasound was actually a complex congenital abnormality in which part of the urinary bladder is present outside the body. Sherry and Charles-Antoine's baby girl was born with her entire urinary track system outside her body --a condition known as Bladder exstrophy, something which typically occurs in one out of 50,000 births.
As Sherry recovered in the Montfort hospital, Charles-Antoine accompanied his newborn daughter to CHEO. Doctors explained to him that a primary closure needed to been done immediately. Surgery had to be performed within 24 hours in order to give little Jade the best odds possible. "We were supposed to be transferred to Sick Kids hospital, but they could only take us three days later," explains Charles-Antoine. "How lucky we are to have CHEO," adds the thankful father.
Jade was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit at CHEO where her Urologist, doctor Luis Guerra, with the help of doctor Michael Leonard, took over her care. Jade would undergo surgery to place her bladder inside her pelvic bone and then force the pelvic bone together. "They did a fantastic job," says Charles-Antoine.
Jade would spend 4 weeks in the NICU, with her parents at her side.
For those four weeks baby Jade was sedated as she lay on her back, her pelvis held up by a pulley system in an infant bed. "She needed to be sedated because she couldn't move," explains Charles-Antoine. "She had to stay still for her bones to heal properly."
The experience was an agonizing test of strength for the new parents. "My wife had picked her up only once since her birth," recounts Charles-Antoine.
Jade was eventually moved out of the NICU onto CHEO's 5 west unit, the hospital's rehabilitation and surgical unit.
"I have no complaints," says Charles-Antoine. "When you are in there 24 hours you see a lot of doctors and nurses. We always felt part of the team. CHEO is a really special place."
In September 2007, after 7 weeks spent at CHEO, the couple brought their daughter home. "We were so thankful," says Charles-Antoine. "We thought we just have to do something for CHEO." The couple organized a fundraising evening with family and friends. "It was an informal evening," explain Charles-Antoine. "We just asked people to join us for dinner and dancing and we raised $10,000."
Charles-Antoine, who has worked at as a Senior Manager at KPMG for 10 years remains extremely grateful for the company's support throughout his daughter's hospitalization. "If I did not have the support that I had at KPMG, I would not have survived," says Charles-Antoine. "KPMG is about people and they have never let me down. They were behind me. They understood that throughout this challenging time."
It was this show of support that inspired Charles-Antoine and his colleague Bernice Marien to reach out and ask their colleagues to make a gift towards CHEO's BIG STEPS campaign. KPMG was already a very generous supporter of CHEO, but Charles-Antoine knew there was room for more. "I thought, if there is one thing that reaches everyone, if there's one common cause…that's hospitals. Everybody needs a hospital at some point," explains Charles-Antoine.
In partnership with a representative from The Ottawa Hospital Foundation, Charles-Antoine and Bernice set to work on creating a pledge form that would be distributed to the KPMG team, inviting staff to make a donation to CHEO and/ or The Ottawa Hospital Foundation. The campaign would be spread over a five year period.
"The response was overwhelming," recounts Charles-Antoine. "We were hoping to raise $20,000 per year for each foundation for the next five years. We ended up exceeding that! With an office of just over 200 people, we reached a five year commitment of over $200,000. It's a testament to what companies can do in terms of their social responsibility."
To date KPMG's generous donation has been put to great use. CHEO invested a portion of the funds into much needed cardiovascular surgery equipment. Two Holter systems were purchased. A Holter system is a small portable Electrocardiogram which records heart rhythm, typically over a 24-hour period as children go through their normal daily activities. An OR Support Mattress was also purchased to help young patients recovering form cardiac surgery, which can often take a long time and requires a great deal of bed rest. This fluid mattress helps ensure pressure redistribution, while reducing patient friction and ultimately bed sores. KPMG's gift will go a long way to replenish, upgrade and integrate new equipment and systems that will enhance the care CHEO provides to Jade and children just like her.
Today Jade is three years old and according to her father she is doing very well. "Her journey will be very long because we don't know what is ahead. Some of these kids can have in excess of 30 surgeries," says Charles-Antoine.
Jade and her parents take comfort in knowing that CHEO is just a few minutes away. The determination of people like her father and the support of companies such as KPMG has taken CHEO BIG STEPS Campaign over the $20 million mark on the way to our goal of $25 million. Their determination and generosity will help ensure that Jade and thousands of other CHEO patients receive the treatments and surgeries they need and deserve.