With National Bank of Canadas support, the 2013 Miracle Weekend raised an

amazing $18,353,580 for BC Childrens Hospital. Your contribution will have

a profound impact on tens of thousands of British Columbian families, whose

children rely on the specialized care only BC Childrens Hospital provides.

On Miracle Weekend we celebrated with the entire province how your

involvement is helping to make BC Childrens Hospital a leader in pediatric

care. National Bank of Canadas support is very important to the hospital and

we thank you for caring so deeply about the well-being of children in BC and

the Yukon.

Tens of thousands of children across the province depend on BC Childrens

Hospital throughout their childhood and adolescence. Your support of Miracle

Weekend helps our teams of caregivers and researchers to help them live

longer, healthier lives.

The majority of funds raised through Miracle Weekend go directly to the

hospital, primarily through the Excellence in Child Health Fund to meet the

most urgent health needs of children and youth in the province. The

foundations cost of fundraising is less than 20 per cent.

Money raised through Miracle Weekend is the primary source of funding for

the Excellence in Child Health Fund. This fund allows BC Childrens

Hospital, its sister facility Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children, and the

Child & Family Research Institute (CFRI) located next door to determine the

areas of greatest need each year and distribute funds where they are needed

most. This ensures the most urgent health needs of todays children are met.

The Excellence in Child Health Fund supports care through several important

areas:

Every day over 200 scientists and researchers at the Child & Family Research

Institute conduct innovative research into illnesses that affect children

including cancer, cystic fibrosis and diabetes with the goal of finding better

treatments and cures.

The close relationship and physical proximity between the CFRI and

Childrens Hospital enable researchers, many of whom also have a clinical

practice treating patients at the hospital, to directly translate findings from

their labs into treatments and new therapies that benefit BCs children as

quickly as possible.

A brain imaging study, led by Dr. Deborah Giaschis CFRI research team, is

providing evidence that children with dyslexia may not only have difficulty

with reading, but also with processing complex sounds. Dyslexia is a common

condition that affects about 700,000 children and teens in Canada alone.

Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), Dr. Giaschi and MSc

student Marita Partanen observed the brain responses of 10 teens with average

reading ability, and nine with dyslexia, to a sound-processing test. Results

show significant brain response differences between the groups.

This finding provides a deeper understanding and may lead to changes in

early screening and management of dyslexia.

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is the most common genetic disease in young Canadians,

affecting one in every 3,600 children. There is no known cure. A buildup of

mucus in the lungs causes children with CF to be susceptible to lung

infections, which trigger inflammation and swelling. Over time, the recurring

cycle of infection and inflammation damages the lungs, sometimes leaving a

lung transplant as the only treatment.

Dr. Stuart Turvey, a senior clinician scientist at the CFRI and a pediatric

immunologist at BC Childrens Hospital, discovered a new drug with potential

for treating CF lung disease. Dr. Turveys discovery is the first step in

identifying new medicines that can reduce lung inflammation in children with

CF, decreasing the likelihood that a lung transplant will be required.

Lucas parents, Lisa and Jim, knew something wasnt quite right with their

infant sons digestive system. After seeking answers for several months,

Lucas parents were devastated to learn that their then two-year-old son had

CF. Once the news set in, Lisa and Jim were determined to be the greatest

advocates for Lucas health.

Today, Luca manages his cystic fibrosis well through a strict daily regimen of

medication and therapy. Twice a day Luca must use a PEP mask to do

physiotherapy, in addition to taking up to 30 pills a day to combat infection

and aid digestion. Luca makes regular visits to see specialists at Children's

Hospital, and for X-rays and blood tests. At times, he has been admitted for up

to two weeks for a "tune-up."

Lisa often says CF is an invisible disease as, meeting Luca, he looks very

healthy. His outgoing personality and winning smile make it hard to believe

that underneath lays a disease that he battles every day.

Equipment needs at Childrens Hospital and Sunny Hill are unique and

distinct from adult hospitals. Our hospital must stock age- and size-appropriate

equipment, and also frequently replace old and obsolete equipment with newer

models due to ongoing developments in technology and care. This allows us to

provide the best care and treatment available to help take care for BCs sickest

kids.

Modern equipment helps to reduce the amount of pain and discomfort a child

experiences during a medical procedure, reduces risk and improves safety,

among other benefits, by enabling caregivers to provide more effective and

more precise care.

Some of the equipment we have purchased with your support includes:

A , giving cardiologists quick access

to exceptional-quality 2D and 3D images of a childs heart and its inner

workings, to better analyze the childs heart function, provide more accurate

diagnoses and offer the best treatment options.

A for our operating room, a life-saving device that

permits the quick delivery of fluids to maintain stable blood flow in critically

ill children.

An that

lets neurosurgeons pinpoint the exact location of a tumour. The equipment

improves their line of sight and reduces the duration of surgeries.

A at Sunny Hill, with over 50

configurations that can be customized to each childs needs, allowing patients

with mobility challenges to stand and achieve greater independence while

improving bone density.

Sunny Hill serves children from birth to 19 years with developmental

challenges and rehabilitation needs. Many of the children seen at Sunny Hill

also receive care at the hospital.

Children require the services of Sunny Hills caregivers for a variety of

reasons. Typically, they have a condition that affects their growth or

development, or may require rehabilitation following an injury or surgery.

Sunny Hill caregivers devise customized therapy and treatment plans for each

child to help them achieve their maximum potential and best quality of life.

Their work is aided by specialized equipment, purchased with your support, to

help assess, diagnose and rehabilitate the children they see.

When Christian Martinez was very young, he was diagnosed with intermediate

intellectual delay and cerebral palsy, which affects his ability to walk. The 12-

year-old visits the gait lab at Sunny Hill regularly to have his walking ability

monitored.

Caregivers used motion capture technology to compare Christians walking

with normal gait patterns, helping to determine how his feet function. By

using a specialized foot pressure measurement device, technicians now

understand exactly what is happening as Christian stands and walks, and have

fit him with customized orthotic foot braces to help him walk.

Since receiving the braces, Christians endurance has improved. He is able to

hold his body straighter and walk more easily, which has helped him build self

-confidence and enhance his enjoyment of life, as every child his age should.

BC Childrens Hospital, Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children and the Child

& Family Research Institute (CFRI) rely on undesignated dollars raised

primarily through Miracle Weekend to meet annual, urgent needs including

support for research, equipment purchases and programs and activities

associated with health promotion and education. The majority of dollars raised

through Miracle Weekend flow into the Excellence in Child Health Fund and

are used to meet these annual needs, which have grown over time.

Some donations recognized during Miracle Weekend are designated to specific

programs or activities that are not part of the hospitals annual request, so the

foundation must also direct revenue from other sources, such as lotteries and

investment income, to meet the hospitals annual needs.

The undesignated donations that make up the Excellence in Child Health Fund

play a vital role in ensuring BC Childrens Hospital and Sunny Hill are able to

provide the best in care, using the latest equipment and with the support of

health promotion and education programs aimed at training staff in new

techniques and best practices, and helping families raise healthy children. These

undesignated donations also ensure children in BC and the Yukon benefit from

the groundbreaking research that takes place on the BC Childrens Hospital site.

BC Childrens Hospital Foundation is proud to honour and acknowledge

National Bank of Canadas incredible generosity to BC Childrens

Hospital and the Excellence in Child Health Fund with the following

recognition:

Celebration of National Bank of Canadas fundraising total with a live

cheque presentation and interview.

Participation in the celebration of the Banks Division live cheque

presentation.

Representation in the Banks Division tribute video

Acknowledgement in The Province newspaper ad following Miracle

Weekend (circulation: 866,600).

Acknowledgement in the summer 2013 issue of BC Childrens

Hospital Foundations Speaking of Children magazine (circulation:

60,000).

Company name listed on BC Childrens Hospital Foundation website

http://www.bcchf.ca/events/events-calendar/miracle-weekend/

Our website (bcchf.ca) received 410,829 visits from June 1, 2012 to

June 1, 2013 - an average of 1,100 hits a day.

Opportunity to utilize BC Childrens Hospital Foundations logo in

promoting your 2013 partnership with the hospital. (Guidelines are

available and all artwork must be approved by the Foundation.)

It's hard to imagine that infants can develop cancer. Unfortunately,

Daisy Irwin did.

At only 10 weeks old, Daisy was diagnosed with a rare combination of

ALL and AML leukemia. With this notoriously difficult cancer to treat,

Daisy arrived at BC Children's Hospital to begin chemotherapy

immediately after diagnosis. The treatment was incredibly hard on her

body, and she spent an entire month on a ventilator in the Intensive Care

Unit following her first round of chemo.

At only six months old, she received a desperately needed bone marrow

transplant. Although the transplant was Daisy's only chance at life, it also

was the cause of a dangerous transplant complication called Acute GVHD,

where the immune system doesn't accept the transplant and attacks.

The Irwin family spent eight months away from home, living at BC

Children's Hospital and trying their best to be there, not only for Daisy, but

also for her two-year-old sister, Molly. The worst days seemed to be those

when Daisy was in isolation and Molly had to stay away from the hospital

because of a cold.

A real fighter, Daisy gave it everything she had to stay alive and that she

did. Now seven years old, her prognosis is good for a bright future.

When Cole was two he was sick almost constantly. His mom, Lisa, was

concerned but had no idea that Cole's immune system was turning against

the insulin-producing cells of his pancreas. With no family history of the

disease, Cole was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2011. Untrained on

how to test glucose levels or administer insulin, his parents commuted daily

from Cloverdale, BC, to Children's Hospital to get Cole the care he needed.

After six days of intensive monitoring, treatments and training, Cole's

parents were ready to begin caring for him at home.

Thanks to the care and support of BC Children's Hospital caregivers and his

parents, Cole is doing well and today, he is four years old and growing

bigger each day. Lisa says they still struggle with his blood glucose levels

overnight. After two years, they still must wake Cole up 1:30 am, 4:30 am

and 7:30 am to test his blood and, often, must either treat him for

hypoglycemia when his blood sugar levels drop too low or feed him to

try to avoid it. Despite this, his family's daytime routine has become more

predictable and easier to manage. Cole is slowly learning how to

recognize hypoglycemia himself telling his parents when he is hungry,

which can be a sign of low blood sugar. Lisa is hopeful that Cole's ability to

recognize hypoglycemia will continue to improve as he starts kindergarten

full-time in September.

Months before she was born, Mayas parents Gary and Karm found out

through an ultrasound that their daughter had a congenital heart defect

called Tetralogy of Fallot as well as a cleft palate. As soon as Maya was

born, she was taken to the Intensive Care Unit at BC Childrens Hospital.

Every mother looks forward to the end of the journey of labour and that

moment they get to hold their baby in their arms, says Karm. I had 30

seconds and then she was whisked away from me. I didnt hold her again

for 10 hours. Even then, it wasnt the same feeling as we were in the ICU,

with little to no privacy.

Maya underwent open-heart surgery in October 2010 to treat her heart

defect she was only four months old. Shortly after the operation, with her

parents at her bedside, Maya suddenly flat-lined and showed no sign of a

pulse on the heart monitor. The intensive care doctors and nurses took

action immediately. Watching doctors save a life may be exciting on TV

or in the movies, but as a parent, it is unbearable, says Gary.

Mayas heart had stopped beating for 22 minutes. Thanks to the expertise of

the caregiving team at BC Childrens, Mayas life was saved. To aid in her

recovery, Maya was hooked up to ECMO, a heart and lung machine. After

six weeks at BC Childrens, Maya was finally able to return home.

Today Maya still faces developmental challenges. She uses a feeding tube

to drink milk and struggles to gain adequate weight. Since her hospital stay

she has also been diagnosed with a genetic condition called Cornelia de

Lange syndrome, a developmental disorder that affects many parts of her

body. As she grows she will still require another heart operation to fix the

blood flow between her left and right atria.

Despite these challenges Gary and Karm say words cant describe the

gratitude they have for the hospitals doctors and nurses. The couple is also

thankful for the support of family and friends for giving them a shoulder to

cry on, and a much-needed distraction from the hard reality that their

daughter was so terribly sick. The Ahuja family is comforted in knowing

that whatever medical challenges lay ahead for Maya, they will not have to

face them alone. With the support of family, friends and the outstanding

caregivers at BC Childrens, Maya will be given the best chance of a bright

future.