ECQG and The IWK Grace Hospital!! Part ONE...

   On Wednesday evening at our regular meeting of the Elm City Quilt Guild, we had a fabulous Program!

    Joan Baldwin introduced Janica Picard and her Mother, Rachel Brown to our Guild with about 80 members present.  

   Rather than me paraphrasing,  let me have  Janica again tell her own story as she did Wednesday evening to our group:

Hi everyone! My name is Janica

I’m 15 years old, a brain tumour survivor and very grateful for everyone at the amazing IWK!

It all started in December 2010. I wasn’t acting right, I was having severe headaches, not eating very much and it seemed like I was just not myself.

On February 4 2011 I was driven to our local hospital here in Fredericton by ambulance because I could not sit up right, I was vomiting, was talking funny and what really topped my mom’s worry was that I could no longer text. I mean really what teenage girl can’t text??

It didn’t take long for the team of experts at the hospital to call for a CT Scan to find out what was wrong with me.   The last thing my mom thought was wrong was a brain tumour.

When they said that I had a large mass in my brain, they had called the airplane and they were rushing us to the IWK was the moment that has forever changed my life.

On Sunday February 6 2011 while millions cheered on their favourite team fighting for the super bowl title, my family was cheering on the McNeely Team in the hopes that my amazing neurosurgeon Dr Dan McNeely would save my life.

After a 14 plus hour long surgery…… wish number one was granted. He saved my life and he was able to get about 95% of my very large brain tumour out of the center of my brain.

I spent a few days in ICU where they found that I was totally paralyzed on my left side and they didn’t know how long it would last.

So my recovery journey began in

·       relearning how to talk

·       walk

·       eat

·       drink

·       and regain my short term memory functioning.

I spent three weeks at the amazing IWK and was then transferred to awesome Stan Cassidy Center here in Fredericton to continue with my rehab therapy.

But my journey does not end there.

Janica delivering the speech that you just read

In January 2012 during my routine visit to the IWK, we were preparing for my second surgery scheduled for the summer of 2012.

But my MRI scan showed an aneurysm in my brain. So my date was immediately bumped up

Almost a year later, on Friday February 24^th 2012, I underwent a 10 hour brain surgery to first have Dr. Pickett successfully clip my very complicated aneurysm

Once that was successful Dr McNeely could then try to get the rest of my tumours out of my brain.

Although all brain tumours are considered cancerous, my type of brain tumour reacts more benign and is cured by having it fully removed from my brain.

My MRI showed maybe a very small piece left. I will know this August if I have any tumour left

If I do, I’ll need another surgery to remove this one last little piece.

Brain tumours are life threatening. Some of my friends I have met in our IWK brain tumour clinic have had to endure much greater pain and suffering then me.

They have had

·       chemo treatments

·       radiation

·       stem cell replacements

·       and many many surgeries.

One of my dear friends Brandon passed away this past October at the age of 18 after his 14 year battle with his brain tumour. Each time I speak in events like this, I try my best to honour him.

One thing that brought me much comfort was my quilts. I was lucky to have received two quilts. The first one is quite small because I received it while I recovered in ICU

Janica holding up her ICU quilt while her Mom Rachel Brown speaks.

However once I got transferred to the 7^th Link unit, I was given a larger quilt that I sleep with every night.

This quilt represents so much for me. But most of all it represents love.

Joan holding Janica's quilt that she continues to sleep with nightly!

Love that someone who quilted this, did not even know me but took the time to do it and knew it would mean so much.

I’m not sure if you really know what your quilts will mean for children who will receive them at the IWK. But I am here to tell you that these quilts will mean HOPE to a lot, comfort to all and will wrap them up with lots of love. 

On behalf of all of them, I thank you for your generous donation of love.

Thank you for having me tonight.  Janica

 Following Janica's presentation, Rachel Brown, Janica's Mom moved us to tears, with her vivid description of the love, caring and skill of the IWK staff during their experience at the "amazing IWK".  She also emphasized the importance and comfort that the gifted quilts give to patients like Janica.  She thanked the Guild from her heart, everyone in the room felt her gratitude and sincerity, it was lovely.

Concentration on Janica's face while her Mom tells of her experience at the IWK with Janica's illness.

 Come back soon for Part TWO of the IWK evening!

Kathy