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| Photo by Flavio Nienow/special to the Telegram Grace Hart, 2013 Champion Child for the Janeway Children’s Hospital Foundation, speaks to her classmates and guests at Walmart about her condition. Grace was diagnosed with Diamond-Blackfan anemia when she was six months old. |
“Donate blood,” is what the nine-year-old said when asked if
she had something to say.
The lively fourth-grader was not complaining or asking for
sympathy. Instead, she was giving a strong message.
Grace Hart was chosen as the 2013 Champion Child for the
Janeway Children’s Hospital Foundation.
She and her mother, Terri-Lynn Hart, shared their story with
Grace’s Grade 4 classmates and guests Thursday at the Mount Pearl Walmart —
sponsor of the Walmart Walk for Miracles, a fundraiser for the Janeway
Children’s Health and Rehabilitation Centre in St. John’s.
Grace’s classmates paid close attention to their story and
marched along with Grace around the store. They held colourful balloons and,
with a smile in their faces, showed support for Grace and the thousands of
other kids who go through similar struggles every year.
Grace had her first blood transfusion when she was three
weeks old.
When Grace was six months old, she was diagnosed with
Diamond-Black fan anemia, a condition where the body does not produce enough
red blood cells.
Grace has to go to the hospital every three weeks to get a
blood transfusion. She will need to do that for the rest of her life.
“My dream for her future is that she has a future,” said her
mom.
According to Grace’s mom, even though Grace sometimes lacks
focus and concentration because of her condition, she has a full life.
“She loves Irish dancing, playing with her friends, going to
the park and riding bikes,” said her mom. “Our biggest thing is to remain
positive about everything.”
Grace said she has “a lot of fun” at the Janeway Children’s
Health and Rehabilitation Centre. She said she gets to do arts and crafts and
that she gets along well with all the nurses and other kids.
“Don’t be scared to go to the Janeway,” Grace said with
confidence.
According to Jenine Kerrivan, the Janeway’s manager of major
gifts, 120,000 children go through the children’s hospital every year.
The event Thursday at Walmart was a kickoff for the Walk for
Miracles, presented by Walmart. Walk for Miracles raised more than $40,000 last
year, said Kerrivan.This year, the event will take place at Quidi Vidi Lake in
St. John’s on June 9.
All the money raised will go towards supporting education,
research and equipment at the Janeway, said Kerrivan.
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