2013 Fall Speaking of Children

FALL 2013

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childrenSPEAKING OF

Kids Get Arthritis Too

Allergy Alert

Anti-Cancer Shots

The AmazingThe AmazingImmune System

Readers’ Survey

www.bcchf.ca

For information please contact the Gift & Estate Planning team at 1-888-663-3033 or [email protected].

You can create a lasting legacyof love for all of BC’s childrenWhen you include BC Children’s Hospital as part of your estate plans you could be saving the life of a child 20 or more years from now.

Small Patients Great Needs

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2 speaking of children fall 2013

MANAGING EDITORStephen Forgacs

EDITORTara Turner

CONTRIBUTORS Lesley Ellis, Kerry Gold,

Rebecca Keillor, Alexandra Samuel, Dr. Rusung Tan,

Tara Turner

PHOTOGRAPHYIrvin Cheung

Tiffany CooperJames LaBounty

Jeff Weddell PhotographyElisa Thibodeau

ART DIRECTORSusan Minton Green

PROJECT MANAGER Casey Crawford

PRODUCED BY

For more information about the editorial content of Speaking of Children or to make a donation to BC

Children’s Hospital Foundation or Sunny Hill Foundation for Children,

please contact 604-875-2444, toll-free at 1-888-663-3033

or [email protected] Business Number: 11885 2433 RR0001

BC Children’s Hospital Foundation, 938 West 28th Avenue,

Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to

SOC Editor at address above.Speaking of Children is published three times annually by

BC Children’s Hospital Foundation. Supporters who donate $50 or more receive a one-year subscription to the maga-

zine, which is also distributed to government officials, public health units and libraries throughout the province.

Publication sales agreement #40659514

BC Children’s Hospital Foundation raises funds for Children’s Hospital, Sunny Hill Health Centre for

Children and the Child & Family Research Institute.

A PUBLICATION OF

superhero news

Known since 1907 for its dedication to producing superb, premium-quality chocolates, Purdys Chocolatier is extending its commitment to quality by helping to build a new BC Chil-dren’s Hospital.

This family-owned business believes that the well-being of children is integral to a healthy and vibrant community. Inspired by this vision, Purdys Chocolatier has made a generous gift to the Campaign for BC Children. The gift is an expression of Purdys CEO Karen Flavelle’s desire to honour her parents, Charles and Lucile Flavelle, for their many contributions to the community – creating hundreds of jobs over their 50-year history at Purdys and generously giving time and money to many charitable causes.

The gift, which will help to create a healing garden at the new BC Children’s Hospital, also honours Purdys Chocolatier’s employees, whose dedication to quality and caring continues to enrich our community.

Child Health BC Expands to Fraser ValleyNurses from Surrey Memorial Hospital and BC Children’s Hospital are working together to ensure children seen at Surrey Memorial’s new Pediatric Emergency Department receive the best care possible. This collaboration is being funded as part of a $5-million contribution from Child Health BC to the Fraser Health Authority to support pediatric care delivery in the Fraser region.

A new Pediatric Emergency Department opened at Surrey Memorial on October 1 and is expected to serve up to 24,000 children annually. With this funding, Child Health BC, its lead benefactor Overwaitea Food Group and many other donors are helping to reduce the stress and inconvenience faced by Fraser Valley families who previously had to drive to BC Children’s in Vancouver for pediatric emergency care.

“Our goal is to achieve the best health for BC’s infants, children and adolescents by working with partners across the province to build pediatric care capacity,” said Dr. Maureen O’Donnell, executive director of Child Health BC. “We know that the best way to do this is to work closely with the region-al health authorities, local hospitals – like Surrey Memorial

Hospital – and with medical profes-sionals across the province.”

In addition to training pediatric emergency staff, the $5 million from Child Health BC is being used for cap-ital expenses and to build pediatric care capacity in the region.

Sweet Philanthropywww.bcchf.ca

FALL 2013

p02-03_Hero_Contents.indd 2 13-11-19 8:51 AM

fall 2013 speaking of children 3

MANAGING EDITORStephen Forgacs

EDITORTara Turner

CONTRIBUTORS Lesley Ellis, Kerry Gold,

Rebecca Keillor, Alexandra Samuel, Dr. Rusung Tan,

Tara Turner

PHOTOGRAPHYIrvin Cheung

Tiffany CooperJames LaBounty

Jeff Weddell PhotographyElisa Thibodeau

ART DIRECTORSusan Minton Green

PROJECT MANAGER Casey Crawford

PRODUCED BY

For more information about the editorial content of Speaking of Children or to make a donation to BC

Children’s Hospital Foundation or Sunny Hill Foundation for Children,

please contact 604-875-2444, toll-free at 1-888-663-3033

or [email protected] Business Number: 11885 2433 RR0001

BC Children’s Hospital Foundation, 938 West 28th Avenue,

Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to

SOC Editor at address above.Speaking of Children is published three times annually by

BC Children’s Hospital Foundation. Supporters who donate $50 or more receive a one-year subscription to the maga-

zine, which is also distributed to government officials, public health units and libraries throughout the province.

Publication sales agreement #40659514

inside speaking of children

BC Children’s Hospital Foundation raises funds for Children’s Hospital, Sunny Hill Health Centre for

Children and the Child & Family Research Institute.

A PUBLICATION OF

“Our goal is to achieve the best health for BC’s infants, children and adolescents by working with partners across the province to build pediatric care capacity,” said Dr. Maureen O’Donnell, executive director of Child Health BC. “We know that the best way to do this is to work closely with the region-al health authorities, local hospitals – like Surrey Memorial

Hospital – and with medical profes-sionals across the province.”

In addition to training pediatric emergency staff, the $5 million from Child Health BC is being used for cap-ital expenses and to build pediatric care capacity in the region.

features6 HPV Vaccine

A new study shows fewer shots are equally effective.

Anonymously, ArthritisMost Canadians don’t know kids get arthritis too.

Growing with Crohn’sHumour and medication keep a boy growing strong.

Hidden DangerA family copes with severe food allergies.

Readers’ SurveyTell us what you think about Speaking of Children.

superhero news

well said

speaking of people

what’s on

caring for the future

healthy habits

what’s up, doc?

children speak

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FALL 2013

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Your opinion counts!Do our Readers’ Survey on

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and be entered to WIN one of 10 autographed Michael Bublé CDs!

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A year ago we passed the three-quarter mark in the Campaign for BC Children and, today, we are nearing the finish line. Yet, even as this campaign draws to a close and plans for the new hospital are finalized, we must continue our work to support the urgent and ongo-ing needs of BC Children’s Hospital, the Child & Family Research Institute and Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children. Your support remains as vital as ever.

We’ve seen a tremendous amount of activity at BC Children’s Hospital and in the new hospital planning process. October 1, in particular, marked an important milestone for the new BC Children’s Hospital. Three developer teams – Affinity Partnerships, Oak Street Health Partners and Plenary Health – submitted propos-als outlining each team’s unique vision for the new BC Children’s Hospital. Each proposal involves thousands of pages of clinical and technical details along with hundreds of drawings. This fall, over 20 clinical and technical teams made up of staff, physicians and Redevelopment Project Team members will evaluate each proposal, and a developer team will be chosen by spring 2014.

As we move toward the close of this campaign, the larg-est of its kind in British Columbia’s history, I want to thank each of you for the contributions you’ve made to child health. Not only are you helping to create a new hospital, you are changing the way we deliver care to children across the province. Child Health BC is advancing the highest standards of care found at our hospital to com-munities throughout BC. This innovation in the delivery of pediatric health care is possible only with generous donations from people like you. It is only with your help, that we can provide the best care for BC’s children.

In less than a year we will watch as demolition begins on our site to make way for the new hospital and construction cranes rise to signal a new journey underway. I urge you to join us on this journey, as we build this legacy – for your children and grandchildren – here in British Columbia. Thank you for helping to bring it home.

well said

Bringing the campaign home BC CHILDREN’S

HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

Board of Directors 2013 as of September 2013

Mr. David Podmore, Chair

Mr. Kevin Bent

Mr. David Doig

Mr. Larry Gold

Mr. Doug Gordon

Mrs. Lisa Hudson

Mrs. Tammi Kerzner

Mr. Michael Lam

Mr. Don Lindsay

Mr. Graham MacLachlan

Mr. Bjorn Moller

Mr. Geoff Parkin

Dr. Erik Skarsgard

Ms. Andrea Southcott

Mrs. Diane Zell

Foundation Executive

Teri Nicholas, MSW, RSWPresident & CEO

Knut Nordlie, CFREVice-President & Chief Operating Officer

Debora Sweeney, CFREVice-President & Chief Strategy Officer

Sincerely,

Teri Nicholas, MSW, RSWPresident & CEOBC Children’s Hospital Foundation


The Amazing Immune System

What’s the immune system and what does it do? In many ways, the answer is simple: the immune system deter-mines our well-being, in childhood and as an adult. The 24 Nobel Prizes won by immunologists – for the invention of vaccines and the ability to transplant organs, for example – all speak to the importance of immunity. When immu-nity is defective, children are at high risk for food allergies, arthritis, type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease and other common diseases. Without immunity, children are defenseless against infections and cancer. But attempts to describe the network of tissues, cells and proteins that make up the immune system can leave listeners exhausted.

The main cells of the immune sys-tem are T cells, B cells, and dendritic cells. Distributed throughout the body, they stand watch for harmful bacte-ria, old and new viruses, and malig-nant cells, usually extinguishing any potential harm without fuss. Dendritic cells sense injury from infection or disease – in the skin, mouth and gut, respiratory tract and elsewhere. When a threat is found they recruit T cells and B cells to eliminate it. The system breaks down occasionally, leading to colds, skin infections and other com-mon ailments. But major immune system failures in childhood are often a sign of something much more seri-ous, as you will read in this issue of Speaking of Children.

Sometimes, the immune system is

instead overactive and harms our own tissues. It can attack, for instance, pan-creatic beta cells that secrete insulin (causing type 1 diabetes), or – as you will find in the pages that follow – the joints (in juvenile arthritis) and lining of the gut (in Crohn’s disease). Food allergies, too – common, annoying and sometimes extremely serious – arise from the inappropriate activation of T and B cells by foods that should be harmless. Immunologists at BC Children’s Hospital and the Child & Family Research Institute are working at the forefront of pediatric immu-nology in many different medical spe-cialties, to translate observations of childhood illness into the science that results in life-altering treatments for children. These are their stories.

By Dr. Rusung TanPediatric pathologist and director of the Immunity in Health & Disease research cluster at the Child & Family Research Institute

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and we showed that,” he says. “The purpose of this study was to take advantage of how great their immune systems are at this age.”

Keyana Bjornson, 17, was one of the girls who volunteered for the study. “It was a pretty easy decision for me,” she says. “I don’t like needles a lot, so taking three shots would not have been nice for me.”

The South Surrey teenager signed up four years ago as part of the two-dose group. “I think the word needs to get out there a bit more about the studies and what the vaccines are, what they’ll help you with and what they’ll prevent,” she says.

To find out if the reduced dose will keep women protected long term, Dr. Dobson is leading the BC arm of a major national evaluation called the QUEST Study. The evaluation will run for 10 years, involving nearly 9,000 girls from across Canada and Keyana is one of them.

Vaccination programs have proven effective in fighting various diseases around the world, yet some parents remain reluctant to subject their children to vaccinations . To address this uncer-tainty, and to control costs, researchers are using science to prove the effectiveness of new vaccines while ensuring dosages remain as low as possible.

“Evaluation of vaccine programs is a function of public health,” says Dr. Simon Dobson, an attending physician in Pediatric Infectious Diseases at BC Children’s Hospital. “It is a very important part of making sure that we’re doing the right thing by the Canadian population.”

As a clinical investigator for the Child & Family Research Institute (CFRI), Dr. Dobson led a nation-wide evaluation of the HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccination to find out if it could be lowered from three doses to two, while offering the same protection. Running from 2007 to 2011, the study involved over 800 Canadian girls.

“Which pre-teenage girl wants to get more shots than neces-sary?” says Dr. Dobson. “It’s less painful, there are fewer visits and you are more likely to complete a two-dose series than a

three-dose series because parents’ and children’s lives are busy.”HPV infections, which are mostly contracted through sexual

activity, are responsible for 70 per cent of all cervical cancer worldwide; the second most common cancer for women aged 20 to 49 years.

“Most girls will acquire the virus and then clear it on their own,” says Dr. Dobson. “What isn’t known is who is going to go on and have persistent infection and it’s the persistent infection in girls and young women that eventually leads to these precan-cerous changes and then cancer.”

Among vaccinations, the HPV vaccine stands out as unique as it is almost 100 per cent effective in preventing the most common HPV infections in 16- to 25-year-old girls, on whom the original vaccination trials were done.

Because the best public health strategies are aimed at pre-venting infection instead of dealing with their consequences, Public Health HPV vaccine programs aim to vaccinate girls before they become sexually active.

“We had to show that two doses in nine- to 13-year-old girls was no worse than three doses in young women aged 16 to 25

Above: Text to come with image in place.

by REBECCA KEILLOR

HPV VACCINEPreventing cancer with two shots

p06-07_HPV.indd 6 13-11-14 9:59 AM


and we showed that,” he says. “The purpose of this study was to take advantage of how great their immune systems are at this age.”

Keyana Bjornson, 17, was one of the girls who volunteered for the study. “It was a pretty easy decision for me,” she says. “I don’t like needles a lot, so taking three shots would not have been nice for me.”

The South Surrey teenager signed up four years ago as part of the two-dose group. “I think the word needs to get out there a bit more about the studies and what the vaccines are, what they’ll help you with and what they’ll prevent,” she says.

To find out if the reduced dose will keep women protected long term, Dr. Dobson is leading the BC arm of a major national evaluation called the QUEST Study. The evaluation will run for 10 years, involving nearly 9,000 girls from across Canada and Keyana is one of them.

“It’s been great for me,” she says. “A great experience. The involvement in their studies is just such a great contribution to help them with their research.”

As well as limiting the number of doctor visits and injections, a reduced schedule would mean that HPV vaccine resources could go further.

“The vaccine is expensive,” says Dr. Dobson. “It’s expensive in developed countries and even more out of reach for develop-ing nations. So anything that can be done to make this vaccine more available in the world is to everyone’s advantage.”

One group that would benefit from these additional resourc-es is boys, says Dr. Dobson, as HPV infection is increasingly being found to cause cancer of the head and neck, and in some rare cases, cancer of the penis in men.

“The vaccine is licensed for use in boys,” says Dr. Dobson. “It’s recommended to be given to boys by the national advisory committee on immunization.”

With every province in Canada setting its own vaccination schedule, the current immunization of pre-adolescent girls for the HPV vaccine differs nationwide. In Quebec and Atlantic Canada it’s around 90 per cent, in BC it’s around 70 per cent and in Ontario it’s around 60 per cent.

“While we might be exploring different vaccination sched-ules,” says Dr. Dobson, “the important message is that this is a very effective vaccine and a very safe vaccine and one that ideally should be given before the onset of sexual activity.”

FOR MORE INFORMATIONon the QUEST Study, or to volun-teer, please go to questhpvstudy.ca/bigger-picture

three-dose series because parents’ and children’s lives are busy.”HPV infections, which are mostly contracted through sexual

activity, are responsible for 70 per cent of all cervical cancer worldwide; the second most common cancer for women aged 20 to 49 years.

“Most girls will acquire the virus and then clear it on their own,” says Dr. Dobson. “What isn’t known is who is going to go on and have persistent infection and it’s the persistent infection in girls and young women that eventually leads to these precan-cerous changes and then cancer.”

Among vaccinations, the HPV vaccine stands out as unique as it is almost 100 per cent effective in preventing the most common HPV infections in 16- to 25-year-old girls, on whom the original vaccination trials were done.

Because the best public health strategies are aimed at pre-venting infection instead of dealing with their consequences, Public Health HPV vaccine programs aim to vaccinate girls before they become sexually active.

“We had to show that two doses in nine- to 13-year-old girls was no worse than three doses in young women aged 16 to 25

feature story

To donate to BC Children’s Hospital,

scan the QR code or visit

bcchf.ca/socdonate

Keyana Bjornson

Dr. Simon Dobson

HPV VACCINEPreventing cancer with two shots

p06-07_HPV.indd 7 13-11-14 9:59 AM


Arthritis is as much a child’s problem as it is an elderly person’s problem. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), the most common form of childhood arthritis, affects two children per 1,000 – possibly more. About 30 per cent of those diagnosed are under the age of five. But perhaps the most shocking aspect of childhood arthritis is that 90 per cent of Canadians do not know it exists.

That finding was the result of a survey conducted by The Arthritis Society, says BC Children’s Hospital pediatric rheuma-tologist Dr. Lori Tucker, who is one of four principal investigators studying the impact of the disease on patients nationwide. “If 90 per cent of people are unaware of it, then that’s a problem, because it’s not a rare disease,” says Dr. Tucker.

There is no cure for JIA, and of the kids who are diagnosed, about 65 per cent of them will continue treatment into adult-hood, she says. It’s a chronic disease, so regular immune-sup-pressing treatment is ongoing. Some kids get steroid injections; others get non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications. For others, there is a newer crop of biologic drugs. “These are medications that are directly targeted to specific parts of the immune system,” says Dr. Tucker.

Chuchu Jiang, 17, was diagnosed with JIA when she was 11 years old. Her parents knew something was wrong when

she complained of pain in her elbows and knees that became so severe she couldn’t sleep. They took her to BC Children’s Emergency. “At the hospital, they explained it would be forever, that it wouldn’t be like the flu and just go away,” says Chuchu, who’s now a student at UBC, with plans to become a pharmacist. Chuchu says her diagnosis made her sad, and the prednisone used to quickly alleviate her pain caused weight gain, which made her feel self-conscious.

But early treatment is essential in reducing the impact of the disease. And a major problem that Dr. Tucker is addressing through her research is missed diagnoses. According to that research, 52 of the 300 children surveyed had symptoms for more than a year before diagnosis. That’s too long, says Dr. Tucker.

Chuchu hopes to encourage other kids to stay positive and not be ashamed of having the disease. “It’s not just me alone in this shell of my disease. It’s me and my fam-ily, friends, doctors and nurses. Everyone is trying to help me cope with it.”

feature story

Eight-year old Tarren Parmar’s mom, Harinder, says he’s a cross between Curious George and Dennis the Menace. “He’s always on the move, and always curious,” she says. He loves to play guitar and sports and to clown around. He also has Crohn’s disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disease that affects the lining of the gut, and requires medication infusions in the Chieng Family Medical Day Unit at BC Children’s Hospital about once a month to stay healthy.

“He’s been doing well for quite some time,” says pediatric gastroenterologist Dr. Kevan Jacobson, head of the Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition at BC Children’s Hospital – but that wasn’t always the case. Dr. Jacobson describes the aggressive escalation of medications required to manage Tarren’s symptoms. “Within seven months of diagnosis he was on the strongest therapy.” At one point, Tarren required several immune-suppressing drugs to control his symptoms.

Tarren was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at six years of age after years of hospital visits and no explanation for the blood found in his stool. In his first two years of life, Tarren experienced numerous ear infections, taking multiple rounds of antibiotics to combat them. Though the antibiotics did not cause the disease, Dr. Jacobson acknowledges there is a cor-

Anonymously, Arthritisby KERRY GOLD Dr. Lori Tucker and Chuchu Jiang



bcchf.ca/socdonate

p08-09_Arthritis_Crohns.indd 8 13-11-14 9:57 AM


she complained of pain in her elbows and knees that became so severe she couldn’t sleep. They took her to BC Children’s Emergency. “At the hospital, they explained it would be forever, that it wouldn’t be like the flu and just go away,” says Chuchu, who’s now a student at UBC, with plans to become a pharmacist. Chuchu says her diagnosis made her sad, and the prednisone used to quickly alleviate her pain caused weight gain, which made her feel self-conscious.

But early treatment is essential in reducing the impact of the disease. And a major problem that Dr. Tucker is addressing through her research is missed diagnoses. According to that research, 52 of the 300 children surveyed had symptoms for more than a year before diagnosis. That’s too long, says Dr. Tucker.

Chuchu hopes to encourage other kids to stay positive and not be ashamed of having the disease. “It’s not just me alone in this shell of my disease. It’s me and my fam-ily, friends, doctors and nurses. Everyone is trying to help me cope with it.”

Eight-year old Tarren Parmar’s mom, Harinder, says he’s a cross between Curious George and Dennis the Menace. “He’s always on the move, and always curious,” she says. He loves to play guitar and sports and to clown around. He also has Crohn’s disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disease that affects the lining of the gut, and requires medication infusions in the Chieng Family Medical Day Unit at BC Children’s Hospital about once a month to stay healthy.

“He’s been doing well for quite some time,” says pediatric gastroenterologist Dr. Kevan Jacobson, head of the Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition at BC Children’s Hospital – but that wasn’t always the case. Dr. Jacobson describes the aggressive escalation of medications required to manage Tarren’s symptoms. “Within seven months of diagnosis he was on the strongest therapy.” At one point, Tarren required several immune-suppressing drugs to control his symptoms.

Tarren was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at six years of age after years of hospital visits and no explanation for the blood found in his stool. In his first two years of life, Tarren experienced numerous ear infections, taking multiple rounds of antibiotics to combat them. Though the antibiotics did not cause the disease, Dr. Jacobson acknowledges there is a cor-

relation between people who have been exposed to a lot of antibiotics at an early age and the occurrence of inflammatory bowel disease.

“Much like with psoriasis on the skin, or other immune dis-orders, the immune system in the gastrointestinal tract is over-active, resulting in symptoms like pain and bloody diarrhea. In children, this can prevent the uptake of nutrients and affect their growth,” says Dr. Jacobson. “At some point, we hope to be able to decrease or eliminate the drugs that Tarren is on, but we don’t want to do it now.” He explains that a pivotal uptake of calci-um occurs in puberty and if the disease becomes active during Tarren’s growth spurts, it could negatively affect his growth and his bones.

Thanks to the care he receives from his health-care team at BC Children’s Hospital, Tarren is in remission, healthy and growing. Harinder wouldn’t have it any other way. “Everybody at Children’s is really wonderful,” she says. “That real-ly makes a world of difference when your child is sick.”

GROWING with Crohn’sby TARA TURNER



bcchf.ca/socdonate

Tarren Parmar

p08-09_Arthritis_Crohns.indd 9 13-11-14 9:57 AM


In some ways, kids like Ainslee Nellis are lucky: they have people like pediatric aller-gist Dr. Edmond Chan on their side. But Ainslee is also unlucky. She has a cow’s milk allergy so severe that just walking into a busy Starbucks can trigger a serious allergic reaction to the airborne dairy protein from steaming lattes.

Dr. Chan, head of UBC’s Division of Aller-gy and Immunology within the Department of Pediatrics at BC Children’s Hospital, is one of Canada’s best. Even he was surprised by the extent of Ainslee’s allergies. “She has a unique severity to her food allergies,” says Dr. Chan. “Amounts of the ingredient measured in micrograms could trigger ana-phylaxis.”

Anaphylaxis is a rapid, life-threaten-

ing allergic reaction. Symptoms vary from hives and swelling to breathing problems or a dangerously low drop in blood pressure. According to Anaphylaxis Canada, 300,000 Canadian children under 18 years have food allergies with the highest incidence seen in children under three, and more than 40 per cent of Canadians read food labels looking for allergen information.

Still, the study of food allergies is a rel-atively new phenomenon in modern med-icine. In pediatrics, this is especially so. In fact, until a few years ago, no program even existed for training pediatric aller-gists in British Columbia. Dr. Chan and his team are working to change that. Dr. Chan spearheaded the first and only pediatric allergy training program west of Manitoba

at BC Children’s Hospital. The first gradu-ate trainee is already working at Children’s Pediatric Allergy Clinic, helping to alleviate the year-long waitlist for care and enabling innovators, like Dr. Chan, to delve further into research that promises to improve our understanding of how to prevent and treat allergies in children.

And that’s not all. Dr. Chan is about to release Canada’s first guidelines for pedi-atric allergy prevention. This Prevention of Allergy Position Statement, being published by the Canadian Pediatric Society, is geared toward all health professionals and aims to bring pediatric allergy prevention in Canada up to speed with the United States, Europe and Australia, which have already had such guidelines in place for a decade.

That’s welcome news for parents like Shelly and Trent Nellis. Even with Dr. Chan in their corner, it can be difficult to manage their seven-year-old daughter’s life-threatening allergy. Any snack could pose a potential threat to Ainslee’s life. That’s the primary reason Shelly decided to homeschool her daughter, a decision made out of necessity rather than pref-erence.

“I didn’t even recognize my own child,” says Shelly, as she describes what hap-pened to Ainslee at four months old after drinking a bottle of milk-based formula. “Her face was so swollen and she was covered in vomit.” As her parents raced to the hospital, Ainslee’s condition deterio-rated rapidly. “She went limp in my arms, while trying to get her into her car seat.” As Shelly began CPR on Ainslee in the back seat of the car she screamed for her hus-band, Trent, to drive faster. “I remember him saying ‘please keep her alive.’”

The Nellis family is not alone in their experience. According to Dr. Chan, up to seven per cent of Canadian children have food allergies, a number that seems to be growing in Canada. So what’s the cause? Well, that’s the conundrum. There are so many theories – the hygiene hypothesis that we’re too clean, infant food exposure either too early or too late, vitamin D defi-ciency, lack of omega-3 fatty acids in the diet, or perhaps not enough good bacteria in the gut.

“There are more questions generated than we have answers to. What we do know, is that it’s a combination of genet-ics and the environment,” says Dr. Chan. “Misinformation is one of the biggest bar-riers in dealing with allergies.” Scientists do not have all the answers yet, but with Dr. Chan’s team conducting ongoing research at BC Children’s Hospital, they are on their way to a greater understanding of pre-vention, diagnosis and treatment of food allergies for kids like Ainslee.

feature story

HIDDEN DANGERCoping with severe food allergies

Ainslee Nellis



bcchf.ca/socdonate

by TARA TURNER

p10-11_ Allergies.indd 10 13-11-15 1:47 PM

at BC Children’s Hospital. The first gradu-ate trainee is already working at Children’s Pediatric Allergy Clinic, helping to alleviate the year-long waitlist for care and enabling innovators, like Dr. Chan, to delve further into research that promises to improve our understanding of how to prevent and treat allergies in children.

And that’s not all. Dr. Chan is about to release Canada’s first guidelines for pedi-atric allergy prevention. This Prevention of Allergy Position Statement, being published by the Canadian Pediatric Society, is geared toward all health professionals and aims to bring pediatric allergy prevention in Canada up to speed with the United States, Europe and Australia, which have already had such guidelines in place for a decade.

That’s welcome news for parents like Shelly and Trent Nellis. Even with Dr. Chan in their corner, it can be difficult to manage their seven-year-old daughter’s life-threatening allergy. Any snack could pose a potential threat to Ainslee’s life. That’s the primary reason Shelly decided to homeschool her daughter, a decision made out of necessity rather than pref-erence.

“I didn’t even recognize my own child,” says Shelly, as she describes what hap-pened to Ainslee at four months old after drinking a bottle of milk-based formula. “Her face was so swollen and she was covered in vomit.” As her parents raced to the hospital, Ainslee’s condition deterio-rated rapidly. “She went limp in my arms, while trying to get her into her car seat.” As Shelly began CPR on Ainslee in the back seat of the car she screamed for her hus-band, Trent, to drive faster. “I remember him saying ‘please keep her alive.’”

The Nellis family is not alone in their experience. According to Dr. Chan, up to seven per cent of Canadian children have food allergies, a number that seems to be growing in Canada. So what’s the cause? Well, that’s the conundrum. There are so many theories – the hygiene hypothesis that we’re too clean, infant food exposure either too early or too late, vitamin D defi-ciency, lack of omega-3 fatty acids in the diet, or perhaps not enough good bacteria in the gut.

“There are more questions generated than we have answers to. What we do know, is that it’s a combination of genet-ics and the environment,” says Dr. Chan. “Misinformation is one of the biggest bar-riers in dealing with allergies.” Scientists do not have all the answers yet, but with Dr. Chan’s team conducting ongoing research at BC Children’s Hospital, they are on their way to a greater understanding of pre-vention, diagnosis and treatment of food allergies for kids like Ainslee.

HIDDEN DANGERCoping with severe food allergies

Ainslee Nellis

READERS’ SURVEYPlease complete this questionnaire and return it to BC Children’s Hospital Foundation in the envelope provided, or complete the survey online by visiting bcchf.ca/survey

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3. What compels you to give to BC Children’s Hospital? Mark all that apply. ❑ Personal connection (family, friends, etc)

❑ Workplace fundraising

❑ Speaking of Children magazine features and columns

❑ Miracle Weekend broadcast

❑ Stories in your local news media

❑ Advertising (TV, radio, print, outdoor ads)

❑ In-store promotions (banks, supermarkets, etc)

❑ Other (please specify):

4. To what extent do you agree with the following statements? Speaking of Children is of interest and relevance to me personally.

❑ Strongly agree ❑ Agree ❑ Disagree ❑ Strongly disagree ❑ Neither agree or disagree

Speaking of Children is of interest and use to me professionally.


Speaking of Children is a good source of news and information on child health in the province.


Speaking of Children provides an easy way to donate to BC Children’s Hospital.


Speaking of Children makes me feel good about supporting the hospital.


5. Please mark all of the following that describe how you use Speaking of Children. ❑ I skim titles to learn about the content of stories. ❑ I read articles of interest.

❑ I read the entire magazine.

6. Please rate all items you would like to see in Speaking of Children in order of preference - 1 for the topic you’re most interested in, 6 for the least. Updates on BC Children’s Hospital (new programs, construction, etc) Stories about medical research

Stories about doctors and other caregivers Stories about patients and their families

Tips on raising healthy children

More information on events and how to support the hospital

7. Please indicate which of the following options you think should be added to the magazine to help raise money for the hospital.

Advertising/sponsorship ❑ Yes ❑ No ❑ Don’t know

Information on how to give online ❑ Yes ❑ No ❑ Don’t know

8. Additional comments:

❑ I donate to the hospital through the magazine.

❑ I keep the magazine for reference only.

❑ I do not read the magazine.

THANK YOU. Your feedback is appreciated and will help us to improve future issues of Speaking of Children. All information collected will remain confidential.



bcchf.ca/socdonate

childrenSPEAKING OF


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FOND FAREWELL Larry Gold, president of BC Children’s Hospital and Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children, is stepping down on December 31, 2013, and will become head of Michigan Children’s Hospital in 2014. Mr. Gold has brought tremendous experi-ence and leadership in the planning of the new Children’s Hospital and leaves BC Children’s and Sunny Hill in a posi-tion of strength. BC Children’s Hospital Foundation is grateful for his many contri-butions to the children of British Columbia over the past five and a half years.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE STARTS WITH A SMILEFrom September 23 to 29, Tim Hortons and its customers raised over $210,000 for BC’s kids. Delicious chocolate chunk Smile Cookies were sold for $1 each with all proceeds from the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley locations going to BC Children’s. Since 2002, Tim Hortons cus-tomers have helped raise over $1 million for BC Children’s Hospital.

THE ARNEILL FAMILY GARAGE SALE FOR BC’S SICK KIDS – Sponsored by National Bank Wealth Management One year after Lauren Arneill’s seven- week stay at BC Children’s Hospital, and following her three heart surgeries in five months, this remarkable family cel-ebrated Lauren’s health by organizing a community garage sale fundraiser on July 20. The Arneills raised an amazing $9,000 for cardiac care in the new BC Children’s Hospital. Thank you to everyone who sup-ported this event![5] Matt and Amanda Arneill with daughter Lauren

MIRACLE TREAT DAYThis year’s Miracle Treat Day was a great success. On August 8, proceeds from every Blizzard® Treat sold at participating Dairy Queen locations benefited Children’s Miracle Network hospitals, including BC Children’s Hospital. DQ Blizzards® never tasted so good!

MOLLY CAMPBELL [1] Molly Campbell’s inspirational story was featured in many of BC Children’s Hospital Foundation’s fundraising events and activities on Vancouver Island and across British Columbia. At only two years old, Molly demonstrated bravery that inspired others and left an unfor-gettable impression on all who heard her

story. Sadly, Molly passed away in July 2013 after a courageous battle with can-cer. The foundation extends its deepest condolences to the Campbell family and thanks them for their ongoing support. [1] Molly Campbell

NEW HEART TRANSPLANT PROGRAM BC children who need life-saving heart transplants can now receive care at BC Children’s Hospital. The new program will operate as one of two transplant sites within the Western Canadian Children’s Heart Network. The Pediatric Cardiac Transplant Program means BC families with children needing heart transplants can now stay in-province and receive the care they need.

BATS FOR A CAUSE Angela McLean led the Bats for a Cause team to another incredibly successful event, as the fifth annual Bats for a Cause slo-pitch tournament in Kelowna raised a record-breaking $47,811 for BC Children’s Hospital! Thank you to Angela, all of the teams, our sponsors and everyone who supported the event on July 27 and 28. We’re already looking forward to next year! Please visit bcchf.ca/batsforacause for more information. [2] Bats for a Cause

GRIND FOR KIDS Thanks to the support of dedicated par-ticipants, sponsors and Grouse Mountain, Grind For Kids has raised over $578,000 for BC Children’s Hospital in the past four years. Grind enthusiasts climb the infa-mous Grouse Grind over the summer and fall months asking supporters to pledge $1 or more for every Grind they complete. Way to go Grinders![3] Grind for Kids founder Philipp Postrehovsky and participant Nicole Sacco

CHILDREN’S CIRCLE OF CAREOn October 8, members of the Children’s Circle of Care and other supporters were invited to participate in hands-on tours with a compelling group of BC Children’s Hospital’s accomplished physicians and researchers. From Dr. Stuart Turvey’s research in immunology, to a tour of the surgical suite with Dr. Sanjiv Gandhi, and an emergency simulation with Dr. Mary Bennett, supporters saw first-hand how their generous support impacts the lives of children. For information on the Children’s Circle of Care, please contact Amanda Sayfy 604-875-2545 or [email protected][4] Donor Mary Wesik with Simulation Centre staff and a Pediatric HAL®S3004 intuitive mobile simulation manne-quin, used to train staff for medical emergencies

speaking of people

1

2 5

43


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FOND FAREWELL Larry Gold, president of BC Children’s Hospital and Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children, is stepping down on December 31, 2013, and will become head of Michigan Children’s Hospital in 2014. Mr. Gold has brought tremendous experi-ence and leadership in the planning of the new Children’s Hospital and leaves BC Children’s and Sunny Hill in a posi-tion of strength. BC Children’s Hospital Foundation is grateful for his many contri-butions to the children of British Columbia over the past five and a half years.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE STARTS WITH A SMILEFrom September 23 to 29, Tim Hortons and its customers raised over $210,000 for BC’s kids. Delicious chocolate chunk Smile Cookies were sold for $1 each with all proceeds from the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley locations going to BC Children’s. Since 2002, Tim Hortons cus-tomers have helped raise over $1 million for BC Children’s Hospital.

THE ARNEILL FAMILY GARAGE SALE FOR BC’S SICK KIDS – Sponsored by National Bank Wealth Management One year after Lauren Arneill’s seven- week stay at BC Children’s Hospital, and following her three heart surgeries in five months, this remarkable family cel-ebrated Lauren’s health by organizing a community garage sale fundraiser on July 20. The Arneills raised an amazing $9,000 for cardiac care in the new BC Children’s Hospital. Thank you to everyone who sup-ported this event![5] Matt and Amanda Arneill with daughter Lauren

MIRACLE TREAT DAYThis year’s Miracle Treat Day was a great success. On August 8, proceeds from every Blizzard® Treat sold at participating Dairy Queen locations benefited Children’s Miracle Network hospitals, including BC Children’s Hospital. DQ Blizzards® never tasted so good!

Every Shot Counts!Congratulations to Save-On-Foods and Overwaitea Food Group (OFG) team members for another successful golf tournament. On September 12, this year’s 18th annual Classic Fore Kids Tournament raised an amazing $1,056,917. The event brought 360 team members, vendors and suppliers to Northview Golf and Country Club to play golf for the kids.

In 2007, OFG became lead benefactor to Child Health BC with a pledge to raise $20 million. To date, over $13 million has been raised to support this pro-gram, which aims to improve and expand pediatric care throughout the province. Thanks to this commitment, and the dedication and foresight of Save-On-Foods and OFG employees, thousands of BC’s children and families benefit daily from better access to specialized pediatric health services closer to home.

“Child Health BC is already providing an enhanced level of care for children across the province today, and developing standards for how we will deliver care well into the future,” said Teri Nicholas, president & CEO of BC Children’s Hospital Foundation. “This event is helping to make it all possible. This is a tremendous amount of money to raise and, by supporting health services for children in every corner of the province, Save-On-Foods and OFG customers and employees will have a long-lasting impact on British Columbian families.”

Teri Nicholas, president & CEO of BC Children’s Hospital Foundation with Darrell Jones, president of Overwaitea Food Group, at the Classic Fore Kids Tournament.


Purchase your cards today!

(Pre-packaged card sets are available for purchase in the Auxiliary Gift Shop

at BC Children’s Hospital, located in the main lobby.)

2013 HOLIDAY CARDS

Auxiliary to BC Children’s Hospital 2013 holiday cards are now available.

Visit www.bcchholidaycards.com

to place your order.

For more information please contact Diana Steele at

[email protected] or 604-875-2000 ext. 5393.

what’s on

FESTIVAL OF TREESCelebrate the holidays with a visit to the Festival of Trees in Vancouver, Victoria, Port Alberni and Sooke. Generous sponsors

are vying for your vote in the People’s Choice Award for best decorated tree – be sure to check them out! For more information and to vote online visit bcchf.ca/festival-of-trees

VANCOUVERNovember 20, 2013 – January 2, 2014The Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver and Pacific Centre Mall

VICTORIANovember 21, 2013 – January 7, 2014The Fairmont Empress

PORT ALBERNINovember 27, 2013 – January 3, 2014The Best Western Barclay Hotel

SOOKENovember 28, 2013 – January 7, 2014SEAPARC

27TH ANNUAL CRYSTAL BALLNovember 28, 2013, marks the 27th annual Crystal Ball. Once again, this black-tie affair will

welcome 400 guests to the Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver in support of the Campaign for BC Children. For more information, or to make a gift to the Ball’s Special Giving Program, please contact the foundation office at 604-875-2444 or [email protected]

2014 FOR CHILDREN WE CARE GALAPresented by The Metro Vancouver BMW Retailers, the

19th annual 2014 For Children We Care gala will take place on Saturday, February 22, 2014, at the Vancouver Convention Centre (West Building). Organized by caring members of the Chinese-Canadian community, this spectacu-lar black-tie event will raise funds for diabetes research. Contact Wendy Wong at 604-875-2673 or [email protected] for sponsorship opportuni-ties and ticket information.

GET ON BASE FOR BC’S KIDS!Register your team today at bcchf.ca/slopitch and get the ball rolling for your compa-

ny’s fundraising plans in support of the 24th annual Slo-Pitch event. Don’t miss your chance to join your industry peers on your designated day, May 23 – 25 at Softball City. Each dedicated team raises $3,000 and more to take part in BC’s best corporate team-building event — where team spirit is mandatory and softball skills are optional.

C-LOVERS PRAWN MADNESS Purchase four delicately battered prawns for $1.99

during the entire month of December and $1.00 will be donated to BC Children’s Hospital. C-Lovers staff and customers have donated over $122,000 to BC Children’s Hospital since 2003. For more information, please visit C-Lovers.com

BOARD, GOVERNOR AND SOCIETY ANNOUNCEMENTSDavid Podmore has been appointed chair of BC Children’s

Hospital Foundation’s Board of Directors effective September 12, 2013. Co-founder, chairman and chief execu-tive officer of Concert Properties Ltd., Mr. Podmore is one of Vancouver’s most influential contributors to the real estate industry with more than 35 years of experience. He is also a director of Fortis BC Inc. and LifeLabs Medical Laboratory Services. He has served as chair of the British Columbia Institute of Technology Foundation, BC Pavilion Corporation, Urban Development Institute, and Greater Vancouver Homebuilders Association of BC, and is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal recognizing his extensive service to the community.

Kevin Bent has completed three years of service as chair of the Board of Directors. Mr. Bent has been on the board since 2007. He will remain on the board and serve as chair of the Nominating & Governance Committee. The founda-tion is grateful to Mr. Bent for his continuing service.

Mike Lam, partner and co-founder of Lam Lo Nishio Chartered Accountants in Vancouver, has joined the board

and has been appointed chair of the Finance and Allocations Committees. Mr. Lam has been active in community service for more than 20 years with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of BC, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, S.U.C.C.E.S.S. and the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Vancouver. For the past 12 years Mr. Lam has ded-icated most of his volunteer time to the foundation, serving on numerous committees since 2001 and chairing the 2008 Miracle Weekend in addition to his role as a governor.

Geoff Parkin has stepped down from his roles as chair of the Finance and Allocations Committees, which he held for the past four years. Mr. Parkin will remain on the foundation board and has been appointed to the board of the Child & Family Research Institute as a BC Children’s Hospital Foundation representative.

Sandy So stepped down from the foundation board, after serving for six years, and from her position as chair of the Real Estate Advisory Committee, which she had chaired since its inception in 2010. She will continue her volunteer leadership as a governor.


p14-15_What'sOn_Caring.indd 14 13-11-15 1:46 PM


Purchase your cards today!

(Pre-packaged card sets are available for purchase in the Auxiliary Gift Shop

at BC Children’s Hospital, located in the main lobby.)

2013 HOLIDAY CARDSCARDS

Auxiliary to BC Children’s Hospital 2013 holiday cards are now available.

Visit www.bcchholidaycards.com

to place your order.

For more information please contact Diana Steele at

[email protected] or 604-875-2000 ext. 5393.

Tracy and Dan Ryper of Nanaimo are grateful every day for their vivacious, healthy six-year-old son, Ben. Born at only 26 weeks and weighing less than two pounds Ben spent the first month of his life in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with round-the-clock care from a team of BC Children’s Hospital caregivers who were dedicated to steering him to health.

Dan immediately knew his son was getting the highest level of care and would be given his best chance to thrive. “It was all so surreal but I found the staff at BC Children’s so reassuring,” he says.

In honour of the excellent care Ben received, Tracy and Dan became monthly donors to the hospital and have left bequests to BC Children’s Hospital Foundation in their wills. “They did so much for us. We feel very good about our monthly donations and our gift in our will. We have and will continue to do all we can to give a little back of what we have received.”

Ben is giving back to the hospital too, by participating in a groundbreak-ing study on newborn brain development at the Child & Family Research Institute, located on the hospital site. At only three weeks old Ben was the first baby to be examined with a brand new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) unit designed for premature infants. Results from the research study will provide important information for neurologists, neonatologists and pedi-atricians in the future as they counsel parents of children who are at risk of brain injuries.

Even with their fears during Ben’s first few months of life, the Rypers have fond memories of the hospital and will always hold a special place in their hearts for BC Children’s caregivers. “So many people touched our lives as a result of having Ben. Despite the circumstances, it was a wonderful experience,” says Dan.

caring for the future

Tracy and Dan Ryper of Nanaimo are grateful every day for their vivacious,

A legacy gift that comes straight from the heart

Tracy and Dan Ryper

p14-15_What'sOn_Caring.indd 15 13-11-14 10:18 AM


healthy habits

When we hear about the challenges fam-ilies face around social media and other online activities, it’s often due to an unhappy story about a teen who has run into terrible trouble on the Internet. But the work of keeping kids safe online – or better yet, helping them make positive use of digital tools – begins long before the teen years. Here are six habits that can help your family make smart choices about online tools and activities.

Establish family tech rules.If you have concerns about how much time your kids spend watching TV, play-ing games or using computers and mobile phones, set up clear rules about tech-nology use, and clear consequences for violating those rules. In our family, the rules are no screens before 4:00 pm on weekdays and only 30 minutes of game time per day. If there is any conflict over putting away the iPad or computer when game time ends, the kids know that means they won’t get their game time the next day.

Focus on activities, not technologies. Many parents feel disconcerted by teens who spend hours and hours texting their friends, or by tweens who labour over their Minecraft creations. But these activities are not dissimilar from the marathon phone or Lego-building ses-sions that we indulged in during our own childhoods. Rather than (or in addition to) setting global limits on screen time, establish guidelines for how your kids use technology so that they get more screen time if they use it for educational or creative activities.

Build useful skills. Instead of focusing on how to limit tech use, think about how you can channel it to develop useful knowledge and skills. Help them master keyboarding with a

parents need to know about kids’online habitsby ALEXANDRA SAMUEL

6Things

p16-17_Healthy Habits.indd 16 13-11-15 1:44 PM


typing program, class or tutor. Download games that are both fun and educational, so they can enjoy their math, spelling or language drills. Introduce them to sites like the Khan Academy or BrainPop so they can learn about topics that interest them. Get them started on the basics of programming with a site like Tynker or (for older kids) Codecademy.

Model discretion. The parents who freak out at seeing their 15-year-old’s candid Facebook photos may be the same parents who previously chronicled that kid’s charming childhood awkwardness on their own Facebook wall. If you want your kids to think care-fully about what they post on their social media presences, and to respect their friends’ privacy by posting pictures and notes only with permission, you need to model that behaviour from the toddler years onward. Ask your kids before post-ing anything by or about them, whether it’s a snapshot of their latest outfit or something funny you overheard them say. That helps them learn the habit of thinking first, and posting later.

Plan for failure. Even if you have rules and parental restrictions in place, your kids will inev-itably test their limits. Conduct random spot checks by looking over your kid’s shoulder, or (for older kids) by looking at what they are posting on their Facebook wall. It’s reasonable to ask your kids to friend you on Facebook, and to ensure they haven’t put you on a restricted list that allows them to hide what they are posting. Searching Facebook (or Google) for your kid’s name is also important in ensuring that their friends are respect-ing their privacy, too. Most importantly, encourage your kids to turn to you with any online problems by adopting a zero tolerance policy for dishonesty, and

an infinite tolerance policy for making mistakes. For example, our kids know that if they find a way of getting around parental controls, they should tell us immediately, and we will help them post something about their workaround so they can alert other families to possible vulnerabilities.

Get help. There is an abundance of websites and applications that can advise you on how to manage your kids’ use of technology, and that can help your kids get the most from their time online. Common Sense Media is my favourite source of wisdom on topics like managing screen time, and their reviews of movies, games and apps make them my go-to source for checking

that a video or game will be appropriate for a specific age group. Tynker is one of several excellent ways you can turn an enthusiastic tech user into a budding programmer with easy-to-follow lessons. Checking out sites like these – or finding your own resources by reading up on edu-cational technology – is the best way to support your kids in developing the digital skills and habits that will make them safe and effective technology users.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:Alexandra Samuel is vice-president of Social Media at Vision Critical and author of the Work Smarter with Social Media series for Harvard Business Review Press. To get more tips about healthy online habits, visit her website at www.alexandrasamuel.com

When we hear about the challenges fam-ilies face around social media and other online activities, it’s often due to an unhappy story about a teen who has run into terrible trouble on the Internet. But the work of keeping kids safe online – or better yet, helping them make positive use of digital tools – begins long before the teen years. Here are six habits that can help your family make smart choices about online tools and activities.

Establish family tech rules.If you have concerns about how much time your kids spend watching TV, play-ing games or using computers and mobile phones, set up clear rules about tech-nology use, and clear consequences for violating those rules. In our family, the rules are no screens before 4:00 pm on weekdays and only 30 minutes of game time per day. If there is any conflict over putting away the iPad or computer when game time ends, the kids know that means they won’t get their game time the next day.

Focus on activities, not technologies. Many parents feel disconcerted by teens who spend hours and hours texting their friends, or by tweens who labour over their Minecraft creations. But these activities are not dissimilar from the marathon phone or Lego-building ses-sions that we indulged in during our own childhoods. Rather than (or in addition to) setting global limits on screen time, establish guidelines for how your kids use technology so that they get more screen time if they use it for educational or creative activities.

Build useful skills. Instead of focusing on how to limit tech use, think about how you can channel it to develop useful knowledge and skills. Help them master keyboarding with a

Test your activity knowledge1. How much screen time is recommended for

children two to four years old?a) Six hours or more b) Two hoursc) One hour or less

2. Playing active video games does not lead to increased overall daily physical activity levels because: a) Active video games may get heart rates up, but they are not significantly helping kids get to the more than 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity required each day. b) Kids find active video games appealing, but the appeal wears off over time and many do not stick with the games.

c) Active video games do not offer the fresh air, vitamin D, connection with nature and quality of social interactions that come with outdoor active play.d) All of the above.

3. What percentage of five- to 17-year-old Canadians are meeting the recommended one or more hours of physical activity a day?a) 5% b) 25% d) 73% d) 84%

4. Physical inactivity is one of the five lead-ing global risk factors for mortality and is estimated to cause two million deaths per year.a) True b) False Answers: 1c, 2d, 3a, 4a

Test your activity knowledge1. How much screen time is recommended for

children two to four years old?c) Active video games do not offer the fresh air, vitamin D, connection with nature and

p16-17_Healthy Habits.indd 17 13-11-15 1:44 PM


BEHIND THE STETHOSCOPEI am the division head for General Pediatrics and director of the Clinical Teaching Units. I work as an attending physician on the acute care medical wards, and supervise pediatric residents and medical students, both during the course of routine inpatient care and via simulation training in our state-of-the-art Simulation Centre that was funded by the mining industry. My other roles include ensuring patient safety and collaborating with health-care workers to ensure a family-centred team approach when treating patients.

MEDICAL TRAININGI received my medical degree from the University of Cape Town in South Africa, and did part of my pediatric residency there. I com-pleted my residency at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children.

FAMILY PICTUREMy husband is an adult respirologist and intensivist and is now involved in teaching medical students at UBC. My two grown children are both studying medicine. My son is focusing on psychiatry, while my daughter is training in emergency medicine.

WHY I BECAME A DOCTOR I was inspired by my father, a rural family doc-tor in South Africa. As I trained in medicine, I enjoyed working with children and families, and decided to specialize in pediatrics. My training in South Africa gave me a global perspective for my Canadian career.

HOBBIESI enjoy running, hiking and swimming. I’m an avid reader of non-fiction books, and enjoy theatre and movies. I love entertaining and cooking for family and friends.

WHAT YOU’D NEVER KNOW ABOUT MEI have run marathons.

IF I DIDN’T HAVE TO WORKI would still practise pediatric medicine,

but as a volunteer internationally in developing countries, where resourc-es are limited. I have volunteered on a number of occasions with Operation Rainbow, which provides corrective surgery for children in developing countries who are born with cleft lip and palate.

PHILOSOPHYI am a passionate advocate for global child health. I have established exchang-es with two pediatric hospitals in Cape Town that allow our BC Children’s Hospital residents to train for up to six months there. This gives them invalu-able experience and also significantly helps the local hospitals because our

residents participate in the call schedule. I believe that good communication

between physicians, patients and their families are one of the most important

contributors to a productive professional environment. I also help inculcate a strong work ethic in the residents, and encourage them to maintain a positive attitude at all times.

WHAT I’M READING NOWThe Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan and Canada by Richard Ford.

Dr. Jennifer DrukerDr. Druker is entering her second year as the honorary physician for Miracle Weekend, and supports a dedicated team of volunteer fundraisers by sharing her experiences as a pediatrician at BC Children’s Hospital.

what’s up, doc?

p18-19_What'sUp_ChildrenSpeak.indd 18 13-11-14 10:13 AM

WHAT YOU’D NEVER KNOW ABOUT MEI have run marathons.

IF I DIDN’T HAVE TO WORKI would still practise pediatric medicine,

but as a volunteer internationally in developing countries, where resourc-es are limited. I have volunteered on a number of occasions with Operation Rainbow, which provides corrective surgery for children in developing countries who are born with cleft lip and palate.

PHILOSOPHYI am a passionate advocate for global child health. I have established exchang-es with two pediatric hospitals in Cape Town that allow our BC Children’s Hospital residents to train for up to six months there. This gives them invalu-able experience and also significantly helps the local hospitals because our

residents participate in the call schedule. I believe that good communication

between physicians, patients and their families are one of the most important

contributors to a productive professional environment. I also help inculcate a strong work ethic in the residents, and encourage them to maintain a positive attitude at all times.

WHAT I’M READING NOWThe Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan and Canada by Richard Ford.

Do you have a story about BC Children’s Hospital to tell? Please submit your Miracle Kid stories to [email protected]

Dear Children’s Hospital . . .Nine-year-old Jacob Schultz and his little brother, Daniel,

have both spent time at BC Children’s Hospital. When Daniel

required open-heart surgery at just four days old, Jacob

began collecting recyclables to raise money and, with an

outpouring of support from their Merritt community, raised

$20,000 for kids at the hospital!

children speak


p18-19_What'sUp_ChildrenSpeak.indd 19 13-11-14 10:13 AM

FALL 2013

bcchf.ca

childrenKids Get Arthritis Too

Allergy Alert

Anti-Cancer ShotsReaders’ Survey

www.bcchf.ca

For information please contact the Gift & Estate Planning team at 1-888-663-3033 or [email protected].

You can create a lasting legacyof love for all of BC’s childrenWhen you include BC Children’s Hospital as part of your estate plans you could be saving the life of a child 20 or more years from now.

Small Patients Great Needs

p01,20 ChildrensCov#6_905_Fall2913.indd 1 13-11-14 9:49 AM

2013 Fall Speaking of Children

Documents

Transcript of 2013 Fall Speaking of Children