The community suffered another blow yesterday. A fourteen month old girl went into the Health Centre the night before last suffering from a fever and seizures. She died yesterday morning, before she could be medivac’d. It just happened that two doctors were in town on a scheduled visit, but despite their, and the nurse’s, and the pediatric resident’s (who came in on the medivac flight) best efforts she passed away.
A death is always hard on the community here, it is small, young and close knit. But the death of a child always seems extra hard, no matter where it happens. Children are so young, vibrant, and full of life. They carry with them all of our possibilities. I cannot fathom losing Travis or Hilary, and I don’t mind saying that I was quite teary yesterday just brushed with the possibility that it could occur. I cannot imagine what her parents are feeling now. My heart goes out to them.
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4 responses
I’m always affected that way as well, Clare. Having children has made the enormity of tragedies like this so much more real to me.
Hi Clare – the sad loss in your community sounds very similar to our own recent tragedy. After nothing more than a couple of days of garden variety fever, our beautiful three-year-old daughter, Elan, suffered several devastating seizures, deteriorating from semi-conscious to brain dead in the space of six hours. The difference in clinical resources is thought provoking; Elan was taken by ambulance immediately to the Stollery Children’s Hospital, assessed in Emergency and whisked up to the Pediatric ICU. Despite the most sophisticated clinical care available her life could not be saved.
I come from small town Saskatchewan, and even though we’ve lived in Edmonton longer than anywhere else, the way family, friends and community banded together to create a soft place for us to land was as intimate and meaningful as anything I’d ever experienced on the prairies. I hope it was the same for the parents and family members of the child you wrote about. We’ve been advised that the liklihood of determining a cause for Elan’s sudden illness and death is remote, at best. I hope the opposite is true for these parents. I am certain, however, that Elan was waiting to meet a new playmate that night. That’s what gives me comfort these days.
Sincerely,
Candace Toews
It does, doesn’t it Mike.
Candace, I am so very sorry to hear of Elen’s death. Although I am no stranger to loss, I cannot imagine the world without my children in it, and I cannot imagine the loss that you feel. I am glad that you have those friends and family that helped ease your pain.
I wish that I could offer some solace but I know that I can offer nothing more than words of sympathy, and hope that that helps in some small way.
Thanks Clare, it does help. The listening/reading, the sharing does all help. Learning new things helps too, and I’m enjoying learning about the Arctic and life there from your writing. And your family!
Cheers –
Candace