Making a Difference

Ryan's Story - May 14

At the age of 4 years old Ryan Smigelski came home from his babysitters with the symptoms of what seemed to be the common cold. He was dozing in and out of sleep on the couch so his mother brought him to bed around 9 o’clock.

When she came in to check on him the next day at 6:00am Ryan’s body was motionless and he was not responding.

After calling the paramedics and flying him to SickKids Hospital in Toronto, the Smigelski family was informed their son had a Hypoglycemic attack over night and now has a serious brain injury.

After being in a coma for 3 weeks the wonderful day arrived when Ryan opened his eyes and returned to his family. Ryan did however develop many mental and physical disabilities because of the injury.

The daily lives of Mark, Kelly and sister Jillian Smigelski were turned upside down. “It’s like we hit a brick wall but we found a path around that wall,” says Kelly.

That path around the wall was called the Grandview Children’s Centre --- an outpatient rehabilitation facility for children and youth with special needs. They have provided Ryan with technologies that help him communicate, and also equipment that is helping him walk and exercise.

Grandview Children’s centre is making a difference in 4,700 lives each year with their services and programs they offer free of cost.

Ryan’s sister Jillian has also started her own project called Ryan’s smile. She creates bracelets with a smile bead on the end and all profits are going towards charity. When asked why she called her project Ryan’s smile Jillian replied by saying “the one thing that hasn’t changed and will probably never change is [Ryan’s] wonderful smile.”

Ryan is going to require support for his entire life but with foundations like Grandview and his loving family he will still be able to participate fully in his own life.
For more information, click here. 
 

 Essence Kids Foundation – May 9

Jacob Romanino is an 8-year-old boy with multiple disabilities. He was diagnosed with developmental delay at 18 months, autism at 4 years, and most recently Ataxia which is a form of cerebral palsy.

Jacob was unable to reach any developmental milestones and had to be taught step by step in order to reach those milestones through conventional and alternative therapies that come with an extraordinary financial cost. In fall 2011, he began taking part in the Movement Program at The Spiral Movement Centre in Toronto and was progressing amazingly.

Giselle Romanino knew that her son needed to continue with his Movement classes but was very concerned about how she would afford this financially. That is where Essence Kids Foundation stepped in.

Essence Kids is a foundation that aims to create, find and support programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children with disabilities. In Jacobs’s case, they decided to fund him as an individual allowing him to enrol in the winter and spring sessions at the Spiral Movement Centre.

Steve Leca, founder of Essence Kids, and also the father of a child with special needs himself says, “I know how hard it is for parents out there and the children as well, so that’s the reason why I created Essence Kids.”

Essence Kids foundation gives children like Jacob the confidence they deserve but otherwise may not have been able to obtain due to financial hardships. Essence Kids Foundation is truly “Making a Difference.”

For more information on Essence Kids, click here. 

AllKash Football Academy - May 7 

Fernand, Bronly, Alain and Hakeem Kashama are brothers with one common denominator – football. The four siblings are currently playing or have played professional football on various NFL, CFL, and NCAA teams.

Three years ago they created the AllKash Football Academy as a way to share their experiences and give back to the community.

The AllKash Football Academy aims to motivate student athletes to make positive lifestyle choices that will enhance their educational experiences, participation in physical activities and lifelong skills all through their love for the game of Football.

After participating in a free day camp run by the AllKash Football Academy, Ben Antigyan, a student from Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School was thrilled with the experience.

“It’s great to be mentored by the Kash Brothers, I mean my team mates and I look up to them, they set the ground for us. They’re like our big brothers," said Antigyan.

Mr. Dario Pretto, Ben's coach (also Fernand and Bronly’s coach when they attended Notre Dame), could only speak highly of the boys when asked what it means to the school that they came back to mentor the students.

“They don’t realize how much they mean to the kid’s. They want to show them ‘I can be the next Kashama, I could be the next one, look at me'," said Pretto.

When asked who was the best football player out of the brothers each had a laugh. But the youngest brother, Bronly Kashama finished his interview strongly by saying, “In the end, I’ll be the best”.

For more information about the AllKash Football Academy, click here. 

50 year volunteer - May 02  

Noreen Ballantyne loves her job and the people she works with – but she hasn’t been paid for 50 years.

Noreen has been volunteering in various departments at The Scarborough Hospital for five decades and has no plans to stop anytime soon. “I’m fortunate now to have the health and I can’t see any reason to leave, to quit, I’d like to continue,” said Ballantyne.

When asked why she originally started volunteering Noreen explained that years ago the women didn’t work, they mostly stayed home and took care of their children and their house -- so going to volunteer at the hospital every Thursday night was her social outing, “mom’s night out” as she said in her own words.

Noreen currently spends her Thursday morning’s at the Diabetic Clinic at The Scarborough Hospital helping with clerical duties and greeting patients. In the past she has volunteered in the Emergency department, she sat on the board of governors, and has sold hundreds of raffle tickets.

Debbie Vandenberg, manager of volunteer services at The Scarborough Hospital says that volunteers like Noreen are essential to the hospital, “They are like our everyday ambassadors, our everyday heroes.”

When asked how she felt about receiving the 50 year pin for 50 years of service the modest Noreen replied “I was very flattered, there was quiet a fuss made about it ... I feel like I’m doing this for all the volunteer’s, not just me.”