Hope, guidance and leading-edge medical care

Alberta Children's Hospital gets a big boost from the annual Country 105 Caring for Kids Radiothon

From the very moment she was born, little Jolene Dunn has been a fighter.

The Alberta Children’s Hospital has been in her corner the whole way.

In July 2012, Jolene was born in Calgary with an obstruction that had caused a section of her bowels to burst in utero – and diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, a fatal genetic disease that primarily affects the bowels and lungs.

Within minutes, Jolene was whisked away into the capable hands of the medical team at the Alberta Children’s Hospital. After hours of delicate surgery to resect her small intestine and clean her organs, Jolene spent the next 76 days at the hospital with mom Christina, where she bravely fought off sepsis, heart complications, meningitis and staph infection.

Health care professionals at the Alberta Children’s Hospital continue to look out for Jolene, who makes regular visits to see a respirologist, a gastroenterologist, a physiotherapist, and a dietician, who are all helping her win the battle with cystic fibrosis.

“She is fantastic. She’s very happy, very social. She loves to dance . . . we have tons of videos of her dancing, because whenever my husband (Aaron) puts on music, she stops whatever she’s doing and dances,” says Christina, a Calgary-based business systems advisor with Enbridge. “And the support we’ve had from the Alberta Children’s Hospital has been . . . amazing.

“In a situation like this, you don’t know what you need until you need it – but over the years, the hospital staff have been so incredibly invested in Jolene,” she adds. “The nurses always offered a shoulder to cry on; the doctors were our beacon of hope and guidance; even the cafeteria staff, who saw us every day for those first 76 days, were so supportive.

“We are so grateful. Anytime there’s something we can do for them, we jump at the chance.”

One of those opportunities recently came knocking – as the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation, with sponsorship from Enbridge, held its 12th annual Country 105 Caring For Kids Radiothon in early February. The three-day event raised $1.94-million, bringing the 12-year aggregate total to more than $19 million.

Proceeds are directed toward the ACHF’s greatest-needs fund, which pays for innovative research, family-centered programs, and leading-edge technology and equipment. Right now, 87,000 kids and families rely on the Alberta Children’s Hospital for medical care and guidance.

“The community loves this hospital. You see the big colorful Lego building on the hill, and you can’t help but feel better,” says Justine Clay, the ACHF’s Communications Director “But it’s not until you have to bring your child here that you truly understand just what this place is all about, and what’s available here.

“So many inspiring stories we hear during the Radiothon are only possible thanks to the generosity of our community, and it’s nice to let people know that.”

The Caring For Kids Radiothon holds a series of Power Hours, which provide extra impetus for purchase of much-needed technology and equipment. This year’s Enbridge Power Hour, held on Feb. 5, raised $82,000, including a $30,000 corporate contribution from Enbridge, in just 60 minutes, as Enbridge employees staffed the phone lines and took pledges.

“Every time I walk through the doors of the Alberta Children’s Hospital, I’m reminded of the importance of health care and support,” says Karen Radford, Enbridge’s Executive Vice President, People and Partners.

“Our Enbridge team led the most successful Power Hour in the history of this event, and the credit goes to our colleagues. We were so proud to be taking calls from our peers . . . this was another example of the generosity of spirit embodied by the Enbridge team.”