KELOWNA–When Isla Ransom was born, doctors didn’t expect her to live very long.
She was diagnosed with Trisomy 18, an extra 18th chromosome, and the prognosis was bleak.
“Most kids don’t make it to their first birthday,” says Isla’s mother Karrie Faucher. “10 per cent survive until their first birthday.”
So as Isla approached her first birthday, her family decided to celebrate with a big party for her and a fundraiser for Canuck Place Children’s Hospice.
“We just tried to be grateful for any time we had with her and to realize that every moment is precious. That’s sort of why the whole party came about,” says Faucher.
This year Isla is turning seven, and the family is planning their seventh annual fundraiser.
“If you would have asked me this years ago, I never would have thought she would be seven. It’s pretty amazing,” says Faucher.
In fact, Isla has beat the odds in more than one way. Doctors told her parents she would never smile, would never interact with her family, and was “incompatible with life”.
“But she does interact with us. She’s very happy. She likes her bells, she likes music, she laughs a lot,” says Faucher.
Her parents say life is not easy for their little girl. She is in a wheel chair, is non-verbal, must be tube-fed, and is prone to seizures and pneumonia.
“I think Isla forces you to face your own mortality and to really enjoy life in the moment and be present. I think that’s what we try to do mostly with her, is be present,” says Isla’s father, Dan Ransom.
Over the years, Isla’s Charity Birthday bash has raised over $55,000 for Canuck Place Children’s Hospice; a place her parents say has been a huge support to the family.
Isla’s seventh annual Charity Birthday Bash will be held this Sunday at Summerhill Pyramid Winery.
It’s a family event with activities for kids and adults.
For more information on attending, click here.