Supporters Like You

Bruce Parker felt understandably shaken when he learned that his son would need open-heart surgery. After all, his boy—Robbie—hadn’t been born yet. But before staff at SickKids could even perform that complex procedure, they suspected little Rob had experienced a stroke in utero, triggering premature labour and an early arrival. Says Bruce:

“We almost lost him that first night.

It was touch and go for the first few weeks after he was born.”

When Rob was almost a month old, he underwent surgery at SickKids and, thankfully, recovered. “The skill, care, and compassion of the nurses and doctors got us through those early weeks before and after the surgery,” says Bruce. 

Several months later, however, Bruce noticed that Rob began to develop seizures. For months, then a full year, he watched his son struggle with seizures despite the use of different medications. Bruce turned to the SickKids Division of Neurology for support, including a rare surgery for people with epilepsy who are not responsive to medication. Known as a hemispherectomy, this scary-sounding procedure either removes part of the brain or disconnects it from the rest. “Since that time, he’s been seizure-free and continues to grow and thrive,” says Bruce of Rob, who is now 12 years old, learning to play the trombone, and enjoys watersports with his dad. 

Taking care of Rob and his younger brother, Morgan, remains a top priority for Bruce and his wife, Jeanette. But the web content coordinator says he also wants to support SickKids with “its incredible delivery of the best care to children, because without the hospital and its staff’s expertise, compassion, and knowledge, Rob would not be with us or have the quality of life that he enjoys.” That’s why, after speaking with his own parents about the process, the 53-year-old recently added a gift to SickKids in his will. He was surprised—and is still discovering—all the tax benefits of these legacy gifts. And, now, he can help both his family and others at the same time.

Bruce says he hopes his legacy gift will ease the lives of other SickKids families by improving their stay or facilitating a “future research discovery [that] helps improve a child’s chances of a long, happy and successful life.” He and many people who’ve had a loved one visit SickKids, which is widely regarded as one of the top children’s hospitals in the world, think of this place as “more than a hospital; more than the doctors, nurses, and support staff; more than the research.” Bruce adds: 

“This is a place of hope for kids.”

When Anita’s daughter Aila was young, she saw a SickKids specialist to investigate some unusual neurological symptoms. Thankfully, Aila was fine. Grateful for the care her daughter had received – and for her family’s health – Anita decided she wanted to give back to the hospital. That’s why she gave in her will to SickKids, helping make sure all families can get the care they need. “The staff, the caring and compassion SickKids shows parents and children, no matter if the situation is big or small, is remarkable,” says Anita. “If I can help even one family, then I am happy.”

“It was fascinating to see these babies that were tinier than my dolls, yet were alive,” says Michèle. “I was too young to fully understand, but somehow I knew that my father was going to make all those babies better.”

Over the years, Michèle came to learn the true extent of her late father’s significant contributions to the NICU at SickKids and to neonatology medicine around the world. To honour his memory and his accomplishments, she is leaving a legacy gift to SickKids Foundation.

“It’s gratifying to make this gift through my will so I can help my father’s work continue and further expand the realm of possibilities in his field, which is always progressing and saving babies at younger and younger ages,” she says.

Dr. Swyer was known as the “father of neonatology.” He set up the first intensive care unit for premature and critically ill newborns at SickKids in 1961 and pioneered many treatments and innovations that enhanced neonatal care and saved lives.

“My father led the team that developed ventilation, resulting in the first surviving ventilated baby,” Michèle says. “Many of his colleagues say that was the pivotal time that neonatology came into being.”

Dr. Swyer created the sub-specialty of neonatology within paediatrics and advanced clinical knowledge for the care of premature and sick newborns in numerous areas, including nutrition, neonatal transport and the regionalization and organization of neonatal care. In 1975, he wrote the first textbook in the field, called The Intensive Care of the Newly Born: Physiological Principles and Practice.

A major part of her father’s legacy is in the realm of teaching, Michèle explains. Dr. Swyer taught at the University of Toronto, training Canadian neonatology residents as well as visiting fellows from abroad.

“He was a gifted teacher who was devoted to imparting his knowledge to others. The international fellows he directly mentored, coached and inspired took that knowledge back to their own countries, and in this way, the unit at SickKids became a model for the development of NICUs around the world.”

Her father’s wish was to have his name be remembered in some form of teaching legacy, Michèle says. Accordingly, she has directed a portion of her donation to funding keynote speakers at an annual international neonatology conference held in Toronto by SickKids, called the T4 Health Conference (Triage, Transport, Treatment & Transition).

A HERO ON MANY LEVELS

“When we mark Remembrance Day every November 11th, I think about how my father was also a hero in the Second World War,” Michèle adds. Originally from England, Dr. Swyer served as a medical officer on the front lines, treating wounded Allied soldiers in countries such as Holland, Belgium and Germany.

“In the war, he had to adapt treatments in difficult circumstances, and I think that training had an impact on his abilities to later adapt and innovate to save the lives of fragile babies.”

The progress her father drove is illustrated by the changes in the mortality rates for premature and lowbirth-weight babies. From the time Dr. Swyer arrived at SickKids in 1953 to his retirement in 1986, there was a dramatic increase in survival rates for those infants.

“There continues to be research needed and teaching to be done every day in the mission to heal and save the lives of vulnerable newborns,” says Michèle.

“I feel very proud to know that my legacy donation will help babies to thrive and go on to live healthy lives.”

*This story originally appeared in a Globe and Mail Estate Planning sponsor content feature in November 2020. Produced by Randall Anthony Communications. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

An hour later, the Hilkers were at SickKids, where they met with a neurosurgeon who examined Jennifer carefully and explained that she had been born Hydrocephalic – a congenital condition that causes enlargement of the skull and compression of the brain. Following the tests and ultimate diagnosis, the neurosurgeon took the Hilkers back into his office and spent more than one hour with them explaining what they and little Jennifer were facing. That day was the first of many trips to the Neurology department at SickKids.

While many hydrocephalic patients have severely impaired brain function, can be quadriplegic, and the disease sometimes results in death, Jennifer’s condition did not worsen. She had a speech impediment, but she crawled and walked and hit other milestones right on schedule. Jennifer stayed in school and added several courses to her high school diploma, graduating when she was 21. Today, at 28, Jennifer is an active, busy young woman who enjoys spending time with her friends and working as a Crew Trainer at McDonald’s.

“She is an unbelievable human being,” said her father, Fred.

From the time that she was three months old until the time that Jennifer was 7 or 8 years of age, the Hilkers stayed with SickKids’ Neurology department. Fred and Berla have been donors to SickKids since that time, donating each year through various fundraising campaigns.

Recently, when they were updating their Wills, they included Jennifer in their discussion. Jennifer has savings and investments of her own, and her parents wanted to help her to draft a Will that set out what she would do with her money if her parents and others close to her predeceased her.

All three of the Hilkers sat down with a lawyer who took the time to help Jennifer to understand the magnitude of the decisions that she needed to make. There were tears in Jennifer’s eyes as she tried to imagine the possibility that something could happen to her parents and their other loved ones. The lawyer explained that if this were the case, Jennifer could choose to leave her money to someone or something that mattered to her. After the shortest pause, Jennifer stated simply, “SickKids.”

Her parents were amazed. They knew that Jennifer understood SickKids was at the end of their own succession planning in their Wills. She also knew that her parents feel strongly about the connection that they all have to SickKids, as Fred was also treated for an eye condition at SickKids when he was a child.

Today, the family has created two generations of a legacy at SickKids. Thank you Fred, Berla and Jennifer for your extraordinary support.