
Every step of the way, you’re there for Island kids like Scotia
Three-year-old Scotia is an amazing little girl who loves books, colouring, and playing at the park.
But her earliest days were full of challenges. In utero, Scotia was diagnosed with Down syndrome and potential heart issues. When her mom, Jen, noticed signs of early labour, she had to travel quickly from her home in Port McNeill to Victoria.
It was a good thing she did. After birth, Scotia had trouble gaining weight and was given a feeding tube. At a week old, she went into congestive heart failure. Her doctors confirmed that Scotia had a serious congenital heart defect.
Through all this, Jen and Scotia were alone and far from home. Fortunately, while in Victoria, they found a warm welcome at our home away from home, Jeneece Place, just steps from the hospital. For Jen, this was everything.
“It was a clean, quiet, safe place for us to be. [The staff] really understood how medical issues can be so difficult for parents.”
The constant travel for Scotia’s appointments has been overwhelming. But thanks to donors like you, Jen has been supported through every step of that journey — not only
with an affordable place to stay, but with support for other travel-related expenses through our Bear Essentials program.
“Travelling five and a half hours… the stress level is extremely difficult. Help with gas and food made a big difference; not having to think about the financial aspect really helped me deal with everything else.”
The family recently relocated from Port McNeill to Campbell River to access better health care and support services for Scotia, and Jen has no regrets. Her experience speaks to the profound impact that limited health care access has on families across Vancouver Island. Thanks to you, remarkable kids like Scotia have the long-term health support they need to learn, play, and grow.