Wakeful students rally round classmates with Congenital Heart Disease

Fundraiser becomes learning opportunity

Supplied photo

NEWS RELEASE
HURON-SUPERIOR CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
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Students in the Grade 8 class at Holy Family Catholic School are very aware that today, March 8, is ‘The Sault Wears Red for Congenital Heart Disease’. That is because one of their classmates has to live with the dangerous condition.

Grade 8 student Dominic Ralph has Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) and after his classmates were informed of what he and Isla Bertrand, a Grade 6 student at Holy Family, deal with on a daily basis they decided to help in the fight against CHD. The students participated in a Wake-A-Thon on Feb. 22 and raised $1,007 to go towards research.

“It was such a great learning opportunity to be able to learn about a disease that affects two students in our school, particularly one in our class,” said Grade 8 Teacher, Raymonde Magli.

“It was so nice to see the students gather around their classmate and embrace such a great cause. In doing so, we have also raised awareness about the CHD and its effect on Dominic, Isla and others,” added Magli.

According to the website CardiacKids.ca, one in 100 Canadian children are born with a congenital heart defect and more than half need surgery to survive. Congenital Heart Defects are the most common birth defect.

“It was a great time to teach my classmates a little more about what I have to deal with. It is good to know that the money we raised is going to go towards something that will hopefully change the future for those of us with CHD,” said Dominic.

Dominic’s classmates were happy to have learned more about CHD and excited to get the opportunity to help those dealing with it.

“I have learned that there is no actual cure for CHD but you can have surgery to help live with it. The Wake-A-Thon was so fun and I would do it again, said Rebecca Swenson.

“It is good to know that $1,007 is going to Sick Kids to help students with Congenital Heart Disease,” said Cole Arruda.

“It was a very fun and creative way to raise the money. I learned that CHD can be very severe and can be a dangerous illness to have,” said Devon LeClair.

Due to advances in diagnosis, surgery, and in the newer interventional catheter-based procedures over 90 per cent of children with CHD are living full lives into adulthood. For more information on CHD visit www.cchaforlife.org.

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