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Denver’s steady strength: a family’s journey through childhood cancer

Sixteen-year-old Denver is artistic and creative, and will try almost any new craft at least once. She lives in Sooke and has always been the kind of kid who keeps...
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How Jeneece Place helped this family through the hardest years

When Mike thinks about the most difficult days of his son Vince’s cancer journey, one thing stands out: the relief of having a place to stay close to care.   Vince...
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A message from the CEO: Looking back with gratitude — and ahead with hope

For nearly a century, Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island has been rooted in a simple but powerful belief: every Island child deserves access to the care they need, close...
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Asher is learning to walk again, and you’re walking beside them

When 14-year-old Asher collapsed in their Victoria home in 2022, their family had no way of knowing how drastically life was about to change. What began as a painful headache...
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A closer look at Bear Essentials with Cheryl and Roanna

At the heart of our Bear Essentials program are Navigators Cheryl Jordan and Roanna McLeod. Recently, we sat down with them to learn more about the realities families are facing...
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Health care doesn’t stop at the hospital — especially for Island families far from home

Trina Knight is a self-proclaimed “lifer” at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital (NRGH). She began her nursing career there in 1993 as a student, later working in medical surgery before finding...
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How your support expanded Ellie’s world

When Paula and Mike welcomed their daughter Ellie in 2010, they sensed something was different. Born at 37 weeks after growth stopped at 32, Ellie cried constantly for her first...
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In times of uncertainty, this Island family found comfort and care far from home

For Ontario-born Krista, living on Vancouver Island was a dream come true. She moved out west in her 20s, after having worked with students with special needs. “I’ve known I...
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How a family navigates healing together with support from Bear Essentials

Disclaimer: The names in this story have been changed to protect the family’s privacy. When Heather’s daughter June was first admitted to BC Children’s Hospital in September 2023 for an...
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Early support didn’t just help Cohen play—it helped him believe

We first met Cohen when he and his sister, Sophia, brought us a donation—they had saved up their earnings from doing household chores to help other kids. Not long afterwards,...
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Ann’s story: A year at the Queen Alexandra Solarium

Ann was nine years old when she moved to Victoria from Salmon Arm with her parents and three siblings. Not long afterwards, she became ill with rheumatic fever and spent...
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Rooted in community: Rhonda’s ongoing dedication to Jeneece Place

Once a month, Rhonda walks into the kitchen at Jeneece Place carrying bags of groceries she’s purchased with the help of her boss. With her son by her side, she...