“Without McMaster Children’s Hospital,
Kyla wouldn’t be the happy and healthy child she is today.”
~ Melanie Gardiner, Grateful Mom
At first, Kyla’s symptoms seemed so innocent that her family doctor thought it was just the onset of puberty. But then her symptoms worsened. Day and night, she drank enormous amounts of water. Her energy level dropped. She was always tired and her health seemed to be going downhill.
Then one night, Kyla could not see the puck at her ice hockey game. She had a really bad headache and everything was blurry. That’s when her parents, Melanie and Jeremy Gardiner, knew something was seriously wrong. They quickly left the game and took Kyla to McMaster Children’s Hospital.
Within 10 minutes of arriving at the Emergency Department, Kyla was taken for a CAT scan. The results showed a large mass in her brain. Her parents were in complete shock and also deeply afraid. On the hospital bed, her mother Melanie, held Kyla close all night long as they waited for more diagnostic tests to be done.
In less than two days, 10-year-old Kyla was diagnosed with a brain tumour. The tumour had already destroyed her pituitary gland and damaged her optic nerve. Despite the best efforts of pediatric neurosurgeon, Dr. Gunnarsson, he could not remove the tumour without harming her brain tissue. In order to decrease the size of the tumour, Kyla would require chemotherapy and radiation.
For the next four and a half months, Kyla underwent six cycles of chemotherapy at Mac Kids and six weeks of radiation at the Juravinski Cancer Centre. Due to the loss of her pituitary gland, she experienced complications that made her medical needs very unique. As the entire team of doctors, specialists and nurses explored her treatment options, they made sure her parents understood exactly what they were doing and why.
Kyla’s mom Melanie says that “During that time, McMaster Children’s Hospital became our second home and the staff treated us like family.”
“The wonderful nurses even helped Kyla fall asleep when she had to stay in the hospital overnight. And, the Child Life specialists were great at helping Kyla through countless needles for bloodwork and IV’s by holding her hand, playing games, reading books, and finding activities to keep her amused. To Kyla, all these little things made a big difference.”
Today, Kyla is a happy and healthy 12-year-old girl whose vision is fully restored. She continues to visit McMaster Children’s Hospital for exceptional follow-up care and to say “hi” to the nurses. Her parents are overwhelmed with gratitude to everyone there.
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