2024 Heatwave

Joe and I, along with a few great friends will be participating in a volleyball tournament at Ashbridges Bay July 13th in support of SickKids Hospital.  We are so excited to be back, and are bringing with us three teams to join in all the fun!! 

I would like to share a short pre-diagnosis story of our experience with a sick 2 year old 24 years ago.

Well it has been 24 years since we got that call.  That call where everything that is happening around you is a black and white picture in your head.  I can see that picture like it was yesterday. My dad was standing in the kitchen in his tighty whities , ironing his pants!  We were all getting dressed up for a wedding that we would never see.  The Dr on the other end of the line, told me to sit down and repeat every word he said.  He anticipated my shock and knew I would not be able to recall what he said.

Amber hadn’t been well for several days while we were at the family cottage in Apsley.  She would stop breathing while she was sleeping, she was lethargic and fevered.  The local clinic put her on antibiotics for what he thought might be pneumonia.  24 hours later, Amber spiked a fever of 104 degrees while she was on antibiotics!  We put ice towels on her back to try to cool her down and decided to head back to the Apsley clinic.  After checking Amber out the Dr advised us to pack our things and head to the hospital.  He was concerned about her breathing and recommended chest X-rays.  Off we went to Belleville, where my folks lived at the time.  Chest X-rays were clear,  but Belleville General thought she had an ear infection.  We were stunned! How does one Dr think Amber is so seriously sick, yet the hospital says she may have an ear infection?

Months leading up to these days, Amber’s right cheek was enlarged.  There was no explanation, friends and family started pointing out that she looked like she had a big gob stopper in her mouth during family photos.  There was no gob stopper.  We had taken her to about 8 doctors about her swollen cheek before she became ill at the cottage that summer.

That night BGH sent us home and we put Amber to bed. That night was the very first night she had ever shown any signs of pain.  When I came to her room she was crying in her sleep and was holding her cheek.  We sat down, talked, and decided to drive her back to BGH only this time we will say “there is something wrong with her cheek” and leave it at that. A pediatrician was called in and some simple sinus xrays were done.

24 hours later is when we got the call. He told me that Sickkids was waiting for us. That we needed to stop at BGH for the sinus xrays to take to SickKids. He told me that Amber had a tumour the size of a grapefruit in her 2 year old cheek. My heart dropped....we never made it to my cousins wedding. It was by far the longest drive of our lives from Belleville to SickKids!!

And the rest, as they say, is history!

It hasn’t been an easy road for Amber, with yearly visits for cat scans, surgeries to remove teeth that the tumour relocated and lastly some re-constructive surgery as an attempt balance her beautiful face. Amber has had a lot to deal with in her life and she took it all like a champion!! My daughter is now 26 and healthy because of SickKids hospital and the care and support of people like you.

Please consider sponsoring me and my team and support the efforts to give back to the hospital that saved my daughters life.

Please consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Let’s do it for the kids.

You can donate to our team as a whole or to an individual on our team, either way, it all goes to SickKids! 

Thank you so much for all of your donations, support and best wishes throughout the years.

Forever grateful,

Jenn and Joe Kitchen

Xoxo Much love.