68 medically-challenged Calgary families treated to shopping spree by Starlight Foundation
CTV
A group of Calgary families including children with “rich medical histories” were treated to a shopping spree at Toys “R” Us Sunday morning.
A group of Calgary families including children with “rich medical histories” were treated to a shopping spree at Toys “R” Us Sunday morning.
The Starlight Children's Foundation and Toys “R” Us teamed up for the nation-wide event, which saw 750 families across the country, including 68 in Calgary, participate in the private shopping event.
“A lot of them go through (significant) medical treatment and they don't have the life tha every other kid would have,” said Starlight Children’s Foundation Coordinator Cheema Dumapit.
One of those kids was 17-year-old Oliver Hamilton.
“When I was born, I had I think it was two litres of fluid in my bladder,” Hamilton said, “so that complicated some things, so they had to drain that. And then I also had a colon, but it didn't work, so they had to take that one out. And now I have an ostomy.
“And then my intestines that I do have, they don't work quite properly,” he added, “so I'm on IV nutrition every night, except for the weekends I get them off, which is nice, but, yeah --I have a tube in my stomach to help get some extra nutrients as well.
“I'm still able to eat and stuff like for fun," he added, "but my main source of nutrients is the IV.”
