Born with Cystic Fibrosis (CF), Caleb has relied on care from the Alberta Children’s Hospital his whole life.
Last spring, he caught a viral infection that put him in the PICU. The combination of his CF and a very high fever compromised his breathing to the point that he needed specialized one-on-one critical care.
By the end of June, he had missed six weeks of school. Understandably, he was feeling low and missing his friends. Thanks to the portable ventilator purchased with support from Radiothon 2019 and a very determined team of PICU nurses, physicians and respiratory therapists (RT), a plan was devised to get Caleb to the last day of Grade 8. Although Caleb was not intubated, he was dependent on the ventilator for high-flow oxygen support.
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Without the new portable ventilator, multiple tanks of oxygen would have been required, making even a short visit impossible.
On the last day before summer break, a smiling Caleb arrived at school supported by an RT and nurse, who he referred to as his “entourage.” Seeing him arrive by ambulance caused quite a commotion at first, but within minutes Caleb and his friends were busy catching up. They were able to hang out for a couple of hours, enjoying snacks and playing board games. Caleb felt incredibly special with so many people working hard to make the outing possible. “I’d been in the hospital for such a long time, it was really nice to get to school and just feel normal for awhile,” he says.
His mom, Kristy, agrees. “It was great to see a smile on his face. I know his friends were concerned about him, so it was nice for them to see him, too. This portable equipment is making a really big difference for kids like Caleb.”
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