When Kaylin found out she was pregnant, she was nervous. The year prior, she had tragically miscarried, so even with this joyful news, she didn’t want to get her hopes up.

As the early weeks in her pregnancy went by, everything seemed fine. She and her partner Chase were settling into the idea of being parents, imagining how their lives would soon change.

But at 13 weeks, they had a scare. Kaylin had a small tear in her uterus. Her doctor instructed her to take it easy. Then at 14 weeks, she was admitted to the hospital for two days. This was not the easy pregnancy she was hoping for.

“I thought this was it. I’m losing my baby again.”

After she got home, life got back to normal. But the path ahead would still prove difficult. Two months before her due date, Kaylin went into unexpected labour. “Once we arrived at the hospital,” said Kaylin, “they gave me everything they could to stop my labour. But nothing worked.”

“After 36 hours, it became real. I was going to have a premature baby.”

Payton Faith was born shortly after. Although only 4.8 Ilbs., she was beautiful. But because Payton’s lungs were starting to stick together, the new mother and her baby weren’t allowed skin-to-skin time. The situation was too dire.

As soon as they could, Kaylin and Chase transferred to the recently renovated Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Covenant Health’s Misericordia Hospital.

“My baby got the best care I could have asked for. Going to the Mis was the best decision.”

Once at the Misericordia, everything changed for the better. Kaylin and Payton were finally able to bond in a private room, making skin-to-skin contact easier. And staff were there for them at every turn. “The nurses were so involved,” said Kaylin, “they were physically and emotionally invested in all the babies. Including ours.”

“The NICU at the Misericorida made it possible to truly bond with my baby before we could go home.”

Today, Payton Faith is happy at home. She’s a fast-moving, adorable one year old, weighing a healthy 21 Ilbs. Payton LOVES splashing around during bath time, and she’s starting to speak. Some of her early hits include “mama” and “baba.” Payton is doing very, very well.

“I could not ask for a better baby girl.”

Kaylin has asked us to thank our DreamLife ticket buyers for their support. “Without this Foundation, without all of you, it would not be possible to have such a beautiful Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Misericordia. And we would not be as stable as we are today. Thank you.”

Bernie lives an incredible life. Growing up in small-town Alberta, he went on to work in Alberta Health, where he was noted for his work in mental health and responding to emergencies, nationally and internationally. He’s also a proud father and husband.

At the age of 65, Bernie was healthy and happy. He’d never smoked a day in his life, so he was surprised when a slight lump appeared on his neck. He wasted no time getting it checked. And within hours, he had a diagnosis. Cancer in the throat.

"When you're diagnosed, the fear of death is always there."

His larynx was removed. So was the lower half of his tongue. Radiation treatment attacked the cancer but destroyed his teeth. And because of the state of his jaw, getting dentures wasn’t a simple endeavour. In fact, he had no teeth for seven years. That’s when Bernie came to the Misericordia for jaw reconstruction.

When he finally received new dentures, his daughter and wife cried tears of happiness. The dentures changed his appearance, improved his impaired speech, and enhanced his nutritional intake. Simply put, he received a new lease on life.  

“The gift I received is that every word I say has meaning and significance.”

After losing his voice, Bernie found that the journey to having it sufficiently restored was arduous. It changed him, but not in the way some might think. Bernie’s perspective has become increasingly holistic. “I feel more deeply I can see a lot further. I recognize how fortunate I am.”

When he looks back on his recovery, Bernie’s quickly thinks of the staff and programs at the Misericordia that helped him make daily progress. “The therapeutic and compassionate atmosphere was a real boost in my ongoing recovery,” he says.

Today, Bernie sees a reason for telling his story. That’s why he’s shared it with us. Reflecting on the importance of DreamLife to the Misericordia, Bernie says, “I would encourage you to buy a ticket.”

Your ticket purchases help our Hospitals with Heart make a vital difference in the lives of patients like Bernie and Megan and their families.

Life was normal for Megan. Passionate about education, she was working as an elementary school teacher while living just outside Sherwood Park. But in February 2018, everything changed. She began feeling weak and dizzy. Something was dreadfully wrong.

She was rushed to the Grey Nuns Emergency, where her heart stopped a number of times and she needed resuscitation.

"I was scared. I didn't know if I'd make it."

Over the weeks that followed, Megan was stabilized and monitored closely by a team that made sure she didn’t just receive care, but felt cared for.

"The staff calmed me down. They were such a great team."

Megan met with her cardiologist when she first arrived. Every day for the next week, he and his team came to speak with her and monitor her progress. Naturally, her family was concerned. While her doctor was certainly busy, he was never too busy to spend extra time answering questions. “They understood my panic,” said Megan, “and would calm me down."

When Megan recalls being discharged, she mentions how she was almost sad to leave. “I had never been to the Grey Nuns before. It’s a wonderful place. I would definitely go back if that was an option.”

Megan is still on the road to recover, but she’s grateful for the help she had in getting there and for the help DreamLife ticket buyers provide to support hospitals like the Grey Nuns.

"You never know when you're going to need it."

When you purchase DreamLife tickets, you’re playing a role in the exceptional care patients like Megan receive.

Thank you.