Fall 2012 - Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation

FALL 2012
New Hope for Teens
with Depression
Generous community support is helping
Brain Health researchers study a promising
new form of treatment.
Researchers at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research
Institute for Child and Maternal Health (ACHRI) will
be examining the use of non-invasive brain stimulation as
a potential new treatment for depression in adolescents.
Principal investigator Dr. Frank MacMaster, holder of the
Cuthbertson & Fischer Chair in Pediatric Mental Health, will
team up with pediatric neurologist and ACHRI translational
researcher, Dr. Adam Kirton, to lead the pilot study – a first
of its kind in Canada.
The pilot involves the use of non-invasive technology called
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) to stimulate the
frontal lobe – the executive decision-making part of the
brain – to offset negative thoughts produced by other
parts of the depressed brain.
Dr. Frank MacMaster,
Cuthbertson & Fischer Chair
in Pediatric Mental Health

Aidan is the 2012-13 Champion Child for the
Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation as part
of Champions presented by Walmart. This fall,
Aidan and his family will have the opportunity
to meet other Champion Children from across
North America at a very special celebration
organized by the Children’s Miracle Network.
Thanks to incredible care from
our hospital’s Brain Health team,
Aidan Campbell has overcome
many challenges resulting from
a stroke.
New Ambassador
Aidan Campbell just turned eleven and
this year, like every year, his birthday
party was a big deal. That’s because there
was a time when his mom and dad weren’t
sure how many birthdays, if any, they would
get to celebrate with their son.
The day he was born, Aidan’s parents Kim
and Jeff were overjoyed, thinking everything
in their world was perfect. But 24 hours
later, while she was feeding him, Kim noticed
that their new baby was twitching.
“I didn’t know what to think,” says Kim. “It
was the nurse on duty who told us that
what we were seeing was in fact a seizure.”
Baby Aidan was whisked from his mother’s
arms and the team began a series of tests
which revealed that Aidan had suffered a
stroke just before or during birth.
“We were terrified,” says Jeff. “We didn’t
even know that babies could have strokes
and we didn’t know what that would mean
for his future, or if he would even have a
future.”
Aidan’s stroke happened on the left side
of his brain which meant that movement
and function on his right side were affected.
However, there was no way of knowing
the full extent of the
damage until he grew
older.
“Aidan’s toddler years
were very difficult. We
basically had to wait to
find out if he was going
to meet his milestones,”
says Kim. “We didn’t know if he would walk
or talk and the fear of the unknown had us
living on pins and needles.”
To control his seizures, Aidan was put on
strong medications which left him in a
sleepy, lethargic state. His parents worried
“From the moment we
met Dr. Kirton, we knew
that we were in the best
possible hands.”
that he might spend the rest of his life in
a daze.
Then when Aidan was five years old, the
family met Dr. Adam Kirton, a pediatric
neurologist at the Alberta Children’s
Hospital, who is a national leader in helping
kids with stroke.
“From the moment we
met Dr. Kirton, we knew
that we were in the
best possible hands,”
says Kim. “He helped
us understand what
- Aidan’s mom, Kim happened to Aidan
and how the team
was going to work with us to create new
pathways in his brain, restoring lost function
and rebuilding his brain’s foundation.”
Aidan received great care from
physiotherapists, speech therapists,
occupational therapists, nurses and the

New Hope for Teens with Depression (continued from cover)
TMS has already been proven to be effective
in treating adults with depression - helping
put some into remission after a few weeks
of treatment. Drs. MacMaster and Kirton
believe TMS holds strong potential to be
equally successful in helping teenagers who
are suffering from depression.
“Depression is a major public health problem
which often begins in adolescence,” says
Dr. MacMaster. “About 15% of teenagers
will suffer a major depressive episode. It
seriously affects kids’ abilities to function
within their families, with their friends and at
school, and is a major risk factor for suicide
– a leading cause of death in adolescents.
Thanks to community support, the Alberta
Children’s Hospital is the only children’s
hospital in Canada with a brain stimulation
lab for children – currently in use to help
children who have suffered from stroke.
The pilot study is being funded with
donations from the Children’s Hospital Aid
Society, supporters of the hospital since
its inception. It will involve teens suffering
from depression who have not had success
using anti-depressants and is expected
to be completed in two years. What
researchers learn will be applied toward
the development of a larger, comprehensive
study.
Right now, the two main treatment options
available – anti-depressant medications
and cognitive behavioral therapy – work
in less than half of the kids who receive
them. There’s definitely a big need for new
therapies.”
“We are so grateful to the community
for supporting crucial research,” says Saifa
Koonar, President and CEO of the Alberta
Children’s Hospital Foundation. “New
discoveries made here have the potential
to benefit kids across Alberta and around
the world.”
Questions about the study can be emailed to: brainkids@ucalgary.ca.
Dr. Adam Kirton brings his expertise with
TMS to this study. Drs. MacMaster and Kirton
are researchers within the Alberta Children’s
Hospital Research Institute for Child and
Maternal Health – a partnership among
the University of Calgary, Alberta Health
Services and the Alberta Children’s Hospital
Foundation.
entire pediatric stroke team.
He also participated in a ground-breaking
research project which gave young stroke
patients the chance to attend a twoweek
therapeutic camp. Aidan underwent
constraint-induced movement therapy and
transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) as a
way to improve motor ability on the side of
his body weakened by the stroke.
TMS is a non-invasive technique that uses
magnetic waves to map and understand the
brain and potentially stimulate it to re-route
damaged pathways and improve function.
Thanks to community support, the Alberta
Children’s Hospital is home to the first
TMS lab in the country – with the potential
for many more innovative treatment and
research opportunities to help kids.
Aidan was able work on things important
to him that many kids take for granted.
For example, therapists helped him with
movements like throwing a football and
placing his fingers precisely on the holes on
a recorder.
“I loved going to TMS camp,” says Aidan. “I
met lots of other kids just like me and it was
super fun. The best part was my homework.
Using my weak hand, I got to throw water
balloons at my older brother!”
Today, thanks to generous community
support and experts at the hospital, Aidan
is happy and active. He talks up a storm,
loves tossing the football around with his
dad and brother and is ready to start playing
the recorder with the rest of his grade six
class. He also hopes one day to be a pro
soccer player.
Did you know
Brain-based illnesses can affect a child’s
development, intelligence, personality and
lifelong potential. That’s why the Alberta
Children’s Hospital has made Brain Health
a priority.
Our experts are developing exciting clinical
and research initiatives aimed at improving
care and discovering new therapies which
can prevent, minimize or even reverse
the damaging effects of brain-related
developmental impairments and diseases.

Celebrating Community Generosity!
Over 130 kids were honored
for their fundraising success
at the third annual “Kids
Helping Kids” Celebration!
Amy and Austin Seely
personally thanked Stan
& Marge Owerko for their
generous gift to help kids with
brain disorders.
Hockey Marathon for Kids
players received gold medals
and personal thanks from
kids and doctors at the
Alberta Children’s Hospital!

Calgary Family Champions Brain Health for Kids
The Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation recently celebrated a $5 million dollar gift
from Calgarians Stan and Marge Owerko in support of programs, technology and research
to help children with brain-related health conditions such as attention and developmental
disorders, sleep disorders, head trauma, stroke and epilepsy.
“Illnesses and injuries affecting the brain are particularly frightening for families because the
brain is central to who their children can grow up to be,” says Dr. Jong Rho, Division Head
of Pediatric Neurology at the Alberta Children’s Hospital. “With this gift, the Owerkos will
help us better understand the root causes and mechanisms of brain diseases and disorders
and enable us to provide the best care possible for the thousands of children affected by
them every year.”
Nine-year-old Austin Seely, who has been living with epilepsy for most of his life, personally
thanked the Owerkos for supporting kids like him. “We are fortunate to have brilliant and
caring doctors, nurses and therapists at the Alberta Children’s Hospital,” says Austin’s mom,
Amy. “Five million dollars from Mr. and Mrs. Owerko will help them do more, discover
more and help families like ours.”
Marge and her husband, Stan,
were greatly inspired by the
vision of the Brain Health
Team at the hospital.
Kids Raise $340,000 to Help Sick and Injured Children!
In early September, over 130 budding humanitarians from the community gathered at the
Alberta Children’s Hospital for the third annual “Kids Helping Kids” celebration, where they
enjoyed carnival games, fun treats and had the chance to win incredible prizes. Generously
sponsored by Global Calgary and hosted by Gord Gillies, the party was in honour of
the young people who raised over $340,000 in support of kids at the Alberta Children’s
Hospital this past year.
“The creativity and passion these kids and teens have is incredible and we look forward to
honouring them every year,” says Saifa Koonar, President & CEO of the Alberta Children’s
Hospital Foundation. “They continue to inspire everyone around them year after year and
prove what a big difference even the smallest hands can make when they come together.”
The excitement at the party grew when it was announced that TELUS was going to match
the first $100,000 raised by the kids in our community in the coming year. The children
were thrilled to know that their birthday party money, lemonade stands and craft sales
were going to make even more of a difference in the year ahead!
Games, treats and prizes
were generously provided
for all the kids by
Global Calgary!
In our Hearts and in the Record Books!
Forty big-hearted hockey players took to the ice in May 2012 on a quest to set the record
for the world’s longest hockey game. After ten days, 246 hours, 6,000 goals and countless
injuries, they raised an astonishing $1.5 million for cancer research and the pediatric
intensive care unit (PICU) at the Alberta Children’s Hospital.
Recently, the players and their families were invited to the hospital for a celebration of
their incredible accomplishment. At the event, Dr. Doug Strother, Director of the Pediatric
Oncology Program, thanked them and said, “You are clearly generous people, but it was
determination that got you through those grueling ten days of hockey. We are just as
determined and with your generous support, we will continue our work to find more
effective and safer cures for these kids, and to decrease the suffering of our patients and
families.”
“The doctors and nurses in the PICU and Cancer Unit are superheroes,” says Lyall Marshall,
whose daughter, Diamond, inspired the marathon hockey game. “We all felt proud to do
anything we could to support them and the amazing work they do!”
Inspired by the care his
daughter Diamond (left)
received, Lyall Marshall was
proud to participate in the
Hockey Marathon.

Olympic Dreams Come True!
In many ways, Zak Madell is a typical
teenage boy. He likes to hang out with
friends, listen to music and he loves sports.
What’s not so typical about him is that at
just 18 years old, he’s already realized his
life-long dream of becoming an Olympian!
This summer at the London 2012
Paralympics, Zak led his team to a Silver
Medal victory in men’s wheelchair rugby!
As their youngest player, he was considered
the team’s secret weapon. He played only a
few minutes in the first game and they were
defeated. However, that
night, the team captain
told Zak’s mom, Wendy,
“they’re not going to
know what hit them
tomorrow. We’re going
to let the puppy out of
the bag”. Zak was put in
the starting lineup for
the next game and every game after that,
leading scoring with an impressive total of
68 goals!
“It was so incredibly exciting,” says Wendy. “I
cried tears of joy the whole week and I was
so proud of him.”
“It was so incredibly
exciting! I cried tears of
joy the whole week and I
was so proud of him.”
Zak has come a long way since being
a patient at the Alberta Children’s
Hospital. There were many times when his
family and doctors worried whether young
Zak would survive through the night.
Eight years ago, while on a weekend
family get-a-way, Zak began to have flulike
symptoms. By the next morning, it was
obvious that it was much more than the
flu. Zak couldn’t feel his legs and within
hours Wendy found herself following
behind an ambulance rushing Zak to the
Alberta Children’s
Hospital. On board the
ambulance, members of
the hospital’s Pediatric
Critical Care Transport
team were fighting to
keep him alive.
Zak’s mom, Wendy
That life and death
struggle would continue for months as Zak
battled to overcome severe sepsis – an
infection that attacked his entire body and
caused vital organs to shut down.
“We had many harrowing times,” says
Wendy. “One of the most heart-breaking
Zak Madell on a breakaway from Team
Australia at the London 2012 Paralympics.
Zak was Team Canada’s top scorer in
Wheelchair Rugby!
was having to tell my son that in order to
save his life, he was going to lose the lower
part of his legs.”
Zak has endured countless surgeries and
procedures and, with the help of experts at
the hospital, he learned to manage years of
ongoing pain. Thankfully, he is now pain free.
Somehow, despite the challenges, Zak has
maintained an incredibly positive outlook.
He has a wicked sense of humour and
refuses to let anything slow him down!
What also makes him special is that he and
Wendy have chosen to give back to the
hospital that has helped them so much.
Over the years, Zak and Wendy have
supported the Alberta Children’s Hospital
Foundation and inspired the community
by sharing their incredible story. They’ve
participated in many philanthropic events,
including Dairy Queen Miracle Treat Day,
Candy Cane Gala and the Country 105/
Q107 Caring for Kids Radiothon.
While a Silver medal victory certainly
makes it official, his friends, family and fans
at the hospital have always known that Zak
is a winner. Congratulations Zak!

Every month of the year, Ron Saad
makes a donation of $18 to the Alberta
Children’s Hospital Foundation. In fact, he’s
been making this thoughtful gesture for
over ten years bringing his generous gift to
more than $2,400.
“It’s really an honour to support the Alberta
Children’s Hospital,” says the Sparwood, BC
senior. “I really wish I could give more!”
Inspired by the loving care he saw his friend’s
daughter receive as she battled with Cystic
Fibrosis at the Alberta Children’s Hospital,
Ron knew he wanted to give back to the
experts who treated her so well.
“I just thought the world of these people,”
he says. “Since that time, my grandson has
needed to be cared for at the hospital, too,
and everyone has just been so wonderful.
Giving a little each month to support the
cause is the least I can do.”
Ron Saad has been donating
$18 a month to help the kids
for more than eleven years!
Miracle Makers are a special group of people who give monthly to the Alberta
Children’s Hospital Foundation. This program allows you to make a monthly
donation that fits your budget and allows us to look ahead knowing that we can
continue to count on your on-going support.
Through the generosity of our Miracle Maker donors, we are able to provide
funding for family-centred child health programs, specialized life-saving equipment
and advanced pediatric research and education at the Alberta Children’s Hospital.
Ron recalls listening to Radiothon one
year and hearing the announcers say that
a donation of $18 a month would go a long
way to help the children. And while there
may be months that he might have needed
a little extra cash, Ron is quick to say that
his commitment to the kids at the Alberta
Children’s Hospital is one he’s really glad
he’s made all these years.
“My mom was a nurse. She spent her life
caring for people. This is my way of showing
that I care, too.”
To become a Miracle Maker, go to
www.childrenshospital.ab.ca
and click on “How to Help”.
The Therapeutic Arts Program
is just one example of how
monthly giving helps the
hospital help the kids!

Mark your calendar for some
wonderful ways you can help the kids at the
Alberta Children’s Hospital!
Nadia’s Run
October 14th
Edworthy Park - Registration 1:30 p.m.
Shoppers Drug Mart Tree of Life Campaign
September 29 – October 26, 2012
Blue Grass Pumpkin Festival
October 13, 2012
www.bluegrassnursery.com
Building Hope for Kids
October 19, 2012
Calgary TELUS Convention Centre
Extra Life
24-hour Gaming Marathon
October 20, 2012
www.extra-life.org
Country 105
Caring for Kids Radiothon
February 6 - 8, 2013
Kids Play 4 Kids Tournament
in partnership with Edge School and Hockey Calgary
March 14 - 17, 2013
www.kidsplay4kids.com
Alberta Cans for Kids
On Now!
www.albertacansforkids.org
For complete information about all of the above events,
please visit www.childrenshospital.ab.ca.
Return undeliverable Canadian address to:
2888 Shaganappi Trail NW
Calgary, AB T3B 6A8
2888 Shaganappi Trail NW
Calgary, AB T3B 6A8
T 403-955-8818
F 403-955-8840
Toll Free 1-877-715-KIDS (5437)
www.childrenshospital.ab.ca