The fifth annual Variety Week ends Friday, highlighting stories from children and families around the province who have been helped by Variety – the Children’s Charity.
You can donate to help kids in B.C. through Variety by calling 310-KIDS or donating online. You can also text KIDS to 45678 to make a $20 donation.
Here are some of the stories we are sharing on the fifth and final day of Variety Week.
WATCH: Through individual grants, Variety provides services such as clinical counselling for children and youth suffering with mental health issues, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Dr. Jennifer Mervyn talks about the real challenges for kids with mental illness in a COVID-19 world.
WATCH: Variety’s Sunshine Coach program has been safely transporting kids on BC roads for the past fifty-five years. Now, in the face of COVID-19, the North Shore Disability Resource Centre is able to have kids visit their families, thanks to a new Sunshine Coach.
WATCH: 18-year-old Jeremy has used a manual wheelchair for most of his life. However, he was recently diagnosed with epilepsy, and when he experienced his first seizure, he tipped over in his chair and hurt himself. His therapists recommended a new, sturdier power chair to keep him safe if he were to have additional seizures. Power chairs are quite expensive, but thankfully Variety helped cover some of the costs for his new chair.
WATCH: One in seven kids across B.C. suffers from mental illness. Treatments, counselling and therapies can be expensive but is crucial to keeping kids healthy and safe. Nine-year-old Kolby is being helped with counselling to treat his anxiety and ADHD.