Jessica Dalton has a personal connection with the BC Children’s Hospital
During the holiday season dairy farmers in Canada are helping raise money for children’s hospitals in their communities they have personal connections to.
In B.C., for example, Chilliwack dairy producer Jessica Dalton is sharing her family’s story and connection with the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation to help BC Dairy match donations up to a total of $120,000.
Dalton and her husband Mark have three children including their five-year-old daughter, Alice.
“She is a ray of sunshine,” Jessica told Farms.com. “She lights up a room everywhere she goes and is always the first to be outside getting dirty. She has a twin sister and an older brother, and they are usually in the barn pushing up feed, checking the calves or biking around the barnyard.”
Alice was born with right atrial isomerism.
This is a form of heterotaxy, a rare condition where multiple organs in the chest and abdomen are formed abnormally.
Heterotaxy affects about 1 of every 10,000 children worldwide.
Symptoms at birth can include difficulties breathing and feeding, and cyanosis (a bluish tint to the skin).
Alice underwent open-heart surgery at 2.5 months old and was discharged from the hospital about three days after surgery.
The Dalton family with Alice in the red coat (Dalton family photo).
The scar on her chest is a constant reminder of the fighter she is and the care she’s received.
The family of five visits the BC Children’s Hospital’s Heart Centre every month or two.
Walking amongst its hallways, patients and families will find playrooms, gardens, clowns and therapy dogs, Jessica says.
Alice’s appointments typically include an echocardiogram of her heart, an ECG and then a visit with her cardiologist.
“Alice is so proud of her heart and has become a very good advocate for her health, which is impressive at her age,” Jessica said.
And even though Alice is the patient, the staff make sure to take care of the other Daltons too.
“The doctors and nurses always acknowledge and care for all of us and make sure to bring extra popsicles and prizes,” Jessica said. “I have a collection of moments from over the past five years that all have a similar feeling of deep, genuine care from everyone on Alice’s care team, which extends beyond multiple specialties.”
And just as Alice’s appointments are a family affair, so was the decision to share her story.
All three Dalton children have worked individually on different fundraisers, and Alice’s reason to fundraise for the children’s hospital was simple.
“This is what heart kids do. They help other kids,” she told her mom.
BC Dairy will match any donations to the children’s hospital until Dec. 2 up to a total of $120,000.