CHEO Telethon: Your Dollars At Work

Last year was a remarkable year in which people throughout our vibrant and growing community once again demonstrated their passion and generosity toward the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) in a wide variety of ways.

Your tremendous contributions and steadfast belief in our children and youth have made CHEO's commitment to helping our kids live their best lives, a reality. CHEO was built by this community, by individuals, groups and businesses alike, and year after year it gets stronger because of the investment that you continue to make.

Last year a record number of children, youth and their families turned to CHEO for help. Thanks to your support CHEO was able to be here for them.

As you may or may not know, the government funds our healthcare system but CHEO still relies on donor support to fund necessary equipment, advances in medicine and life-saving research. Here are some examples of how your donations are making a tremendous impact for our kids.

Ophthalmology Clinic Renovation

In the last decade, the care provided in the Department of Ophthalmology has expanded significantly. From a department of two physicians and one orthoptist, the team has grown to include the expertise of five physicians, two orthoptists and three specialized support staff. The subspecialized eye care includes advanced surgical glaucoma management, advanced anterior segment and retino-vitreous surgeries, pediatric oculoplastics and uveitis, and greater coverage of general pediatric ophthalmology. All of these additional services were being provided within the same space configuration that the original Department of Ophthalmology had occupied since CHEO opened its doors in 1974.

Extensive planning has gone into the renovation of Ophthalmology’s space. Within the same footprint, the department has gone from having five outdated examination spaces to having seven state-of-the-art examination spaces, equipped with technologically advanced equipment. Each examination room includes adapted visual acuity targets, biomicroscopes and specialized instruments for glaucoma detection.

Thanks to the generosity of donors like you, CHEO now has the capacity to do more tests than ever before. Until now, CHEO had to rely on our adult care partners for visual field testing of children with glaucoma, which meant additional visits to the hospital requiring families to plan and schedule. CHEO now has a visual field analyzer, significantly improving our ability to connect families to the ophthalmic care they need in a timely fashion. In order to care for a greater number of children, CHEO was also thrilled to acquire a non-mydriatic fundus camera. These donor-funded technologies will help CHEO treat children affected by eye disease and prevent them from heading on a path to eventual blindness.

Equipment – EOS Machine

Standing tall thanks to you!

For patients with skeletal conditions, particularly those affecting the spine, pelvis and legs, frequent x-rays are essential for accurate diagnosis and determining treatment plans.

A low-dose 2D/3D x-ray imaging technology called an EOS machine produces high quality images while delivering a lower dose of radiation. Thanks to outstanding community support CHEO now has one. This means patients no longer have to travel to other hospitals to have access to equipment that provides the most accurate and safest medical imaging available.

What is the EOS system?

• It captures full body x-ray images in a single scan, allowing for more precise evaluation.
• The 3D model provides a complete picture of the skeleton to help plan complicated, personalized treatments.
• The EOS system follows the ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) principle enhancing patient safety and decreasing radiation dose.

Your support enabled CHEO to purchase this crucial system not covered by government funding. Together, we are making huge strides in providing leading-edge care for CHEO’s patients.

Audiology – Bone conduction hearing aids (BCHA)

Paediatric audiologists know that early and consistent access to sound is not only crucial to a child’s development of listening and spoken language skills but to brain development, language acquisition, social and emotional health. And as parents there is nothing more special than knowing our children can hear our voices and connect with siblings and the world around them. Research has clearly shown that the earlier a child with hearing loss is fit with hearing aids, the more likely they are to do well in all areas of life.

There are times however when the use of a conventional hearing aid is not possible. The reasons for that can be medical or anatomical due to the absence of an outer and/or middle ear. This is when a bone conduction hearing aid is the only device capable of providing sound. These devices send vibrations through the bones of the skull directly to the inner ear. Children can wear them on a band that rests on their head and when they are old enough, surgery can permanently affix the device.

Knowing that these devices hold the key to a hearing-impaired child’s development and enjoyment of life, make them a priority for audiologists and concerned parents. Yet the current provincial funding model does not cover a child’s first BCHA and costs are only covered five years after the child matures enough to have surgery to implant the device. Families must cover all initial costs, which are substantial. Knowing how time sensitive intervention is to correct hearing loss, this situation is stressful beyond measure for families who simply cannot afford that first BCHA. Due to increased numbers of children being fitted with bone conduction hearing aids, the CHEO Foundation, thanks to community support, has been there to help meet the demand to ensure all children can benefit from the gift of hearing.

Well-being Program

Did you know CHEO has dedicated services for oncology patients including a team focused on their emotional and mental health? This team is called the Hematology/Oncology Psychosocial Team. A very important member of this group is Dr. Hélo?se Sirois-Leclerc, a clinical psychologist providing assessments, consultations and counselling for patients who need specialized intervention and support. This addition to CHEO’s oncology treatment program was born out of an identified need for mental health support and made possible through the generosity of our donor community. Children and youth who are currently in treatment are encouraged to talk about their fears and hopes for the future, while cancer survivors learn to cope with lingering effects from their treatment.

This program would not exist without donor support and it plays such an important role in helping children and youth face the harsh realities of dealing with cancer. Through CHEO’s Oncology Department, approximately 300 families per year have access to psychosocial services. In 2018 nearly 900 counselling hours were provided to 15 to 18 oncology patients per week. Dr. Sirois-Leclerc is involved with 95 to 100 patients at any given time, for a quick consultation in some cases and for more in-depth work with others. “I wouldn’t be able to see 100 patients if I wasn’t working as part of a team and with the support of the community.”

In this treatment model the clinical psychologist is constantly collaborating with other specialists, social workers, physicians and case workers. Thanks to dedicated services and donations, the whole family is treated at CHEO with the hope that they will take the coping strategies they’ve been given into their life outside of the walls of the hospital.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Critically ill and high-risk newborns are cared for in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at CHEO. In addition to providing hospital care to newborns in a 20-bed unit, CHEO also manages the transfer of critically ill infants. The Neonatal Transport Team is a specially trained critical care team available 24 hours per day, seven days a week. This team, which includes nurses and respiratory therapists provides rapid access to the right care in the right place, responding to calls, stabilizing sick babies wherever they are born (sometimes in advance of birth), and providing safe transfer to CHEO or other appropriate neonatal intensive care units. Specialized equipment is a must for this team and this unit.

Last year, CHEO desperately needed to replace 12 oxygen blenders to help our most fragile babies breathe when they can’t do it on their own. These blenders allow for a precise concentration of oxygen to be delivered to the babies. Without a blender, we are only able to provide either room air or pure oxygen. Many patients require some oxygen, but too much oxygen can cause damage to their eyes, brains and other organs. With a blender in place we can customize the amount of oxygen delivered to the patient at any time, including instances when they may require resuscitation. For the first time at CHEO, every patient in the NICU will have a resuscitation bag connected to a blender. For some patients, this will be used regularly, while some will never need it. Thanks to donors, the equipment is now available in the case of emergency which is an absolute must for safety and appropriate care.

Research – Type 1 Diabetes

Being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes is a shock and a life-altering change for kids and their families. Thanks to donors like you, advances in research, specialized care and supportive programs are making this a more manageable disease for patients at CHEO.

Having access to the right tools for diabetes patients can mean a long, healthy and unimpeded life. In addition to investing in their long term health, kids with this disease are being empowered to take ownership of their condition and treatment so that they can live their best life.

Over 800 children and youth are followed in the CHEO Diabetes Clinic yearly. That means thousands of families are able to rely on CHEO’s services because of you. You are a part of the accomplishments and advances made available to diabetes patients at CHEO. From research findings to front line support, your donations are having an enormous impact on patients.

There has been a long-asked research question that has finally been answered: Is it possible to prevent type 1 diabetes by altering the kind of formula that infants are exposed to in the first months of life? After 14 years, following 2,159 children in 15 countries, researchers involved in the Trial to Reduce IDDM in the Genetically at Risk (TRIGR) study conclusively showed that altering the type of protein in infant formula does not affect the risk of developing type 1 diabetes in children who had a family member with the disease. CHEO’s Dr. Margaret Lawson and Brenda Bradley, led the Canadian Coordinating Centre for the 18 TRIGR Canada sites. More than 25 percent of study participants were Canadian. The study’s conclusion provides important guidance for those who are developing infant feeding policy and guidelines. There is no need to develop separate feeding guidelines for infants who may have a genetic predisposition to type 1 diabetes and parents can feed their children the same way as any other infant.

As we continue to work toward a cure, the CHEO team is initiating new programs and improving old ones to meet the changing needs of children and teens with type 1 diabetes through research and special programs which are supported by donors. There is no doubt that CHEO would not be able to do this important work without you. Thank you for caring about the health and well-being of children.

The CHEO Telethon campaign period (May 27 through June 9, 2019) is the perfect time to support CHEO, as every donation is matched by one of six generous Miracle Match sponsors that will double your gift and impact. Please donate today.