‘She’s a miracle’: Durham rallies to give 11-year-old unforgettable birthday amid COVID-19 pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has changed so many facets of our life, including how we celebrate.

Over the weekend, a little girl in Oshawa was thrown an 11th birthday celebration she and her family won’t forget any time soon.

“She’s a miracle,” said Amanda Wallace-Gallant, Faith Ellis’s mom.

Vehicles drove along Nonquon Road in Oshawa Sunday afternoon, honking and waving in a drive-by parade for Faith’s 11th birthday.

“For her this quarantine has been a bit of a struggle and again seeing people kind of face to face, it was amazing. I’m sure her heart was beating just as fast as mine,” said Wallace-Gallant.

May 3 means a great deal to the family.

“It’s a celebration that Faith is still here with us. She was born at 23 weeks and five days. She was one pound six ounces,” said Wallace-Gallant.

Faith was born a twin.

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Her sister was named Joy. They were given a four per cent chance to live beyond 24 hours.

Both went home after spending six months in the NICU.

“We sadly did lose her twin sister six years ago but we know she’s made this bright beautiful day for us to enjoy,” said Wallace-Gallant.

Faith has severe cerebral palsy and is non-verbal.

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“Like her sister’s name, she’s a joy. Despite her challenges, she’s hilarious, she’s always got a smile on her face and she can easily put one on yours,” said Wallace-Gallant.

Samantha Wood, a family friend, helped organize the event.

“Faith just deserves the world and I wish we could have done so much more for her but at a time like this it’s not easy and we didn’t want to miss celebrating with her, so we did what we could based on the circumstances,” Wood said.

Canadian superstar singer Shawn Mendes sent Faith a greeting and she received a number of cards from friends and family.

“With all the stuff going on in our world, it’s an amazing time to celebrate every little thing we can these days,” said Annette Neufeld, whose son plays Durham Challenger Baseball with Faith.

Some of her Durham Challenger Baseball family, along with Trucks of Durham, showed up for Faith, making for a day she and her family will always cherish.

“Thank you,” said Faith, the birthday girl.