My name is Jeannine Hartnett, my son is Julian. We won the CJAY 92’s Secret Wish Kids Fund on May 14th, 2010 and I just wanted to write a letter of thanks to Treadz Auto Group.
My son Julian and I have gone through some tough times. I had been living in Vancouver for the past 4 years though I grew up in Medicine Hat and most of my family lives here in Calgary. Due to Julian’s medical issues, and the fact that I had chosen to raise him alone, it was very apparent that I had to leave my life and move closer to my family in order for my son and I to have more help and support. Julian was admitted to the Vancouver Children’s Hospital when he was 10 days old. The doctors at VCH told me that my son was in heart failure, and after advising me of risks, they told me, either needed to “let him go” or to put him on a by-pass system called ECMO. We were at the hospital for 2 weeks while Julian was on ECMO. It was pumping his blood and helping him breathe to keep him alive. It became apparent that Julian was going to need more help than the hospital in Vancouver could offer and so we were air lifted to the Strollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton. I had never left the hospital. I only had the clothes that I had come to the hospital in and a few other belongings that were brought to me during that time. With the decision to leave for Edmonton I had to leave everything behind. The next 4 months were a battle.
When we arrived in Edmonton, to add insult to injury, we learned Julian had had a stroke. Every day for many days I sat vigil watching as my child lay sedated in the I.C.U. of the hospital. My stomach turned as Julian underwent his first surgery to have canals (2 pieces of tubing that goes in through the abdomen and under the rib cage into the left side of Julian’s heart) for the most amazing piece of machinery I have ever seen, “The Berlin Heart.” This allowed Julian to only have to be sedated enough for pain and withdrawal prevention. I remember feeling overwhelmed the first time I was allowed to pick him up and hold him in my arms since he was admitted to hospital. He was still connected to tubes from the Berlin Heart and many other machines that monitored his blood pressure and those that fed him. Being able to dress him and play with him, rock him, and see him smile for the first time. Then there were the days feeling like we were making so much progress followed by the pressure and anxiety of watching helplessly as Julian endured the pain. I will never forget the day I received the call that they had a donor heart for Julian, talk about mixed emotions. It was a sad day, as his heart would officially be traded out for a better one with its own list of complications. No more hope of his own heart recovering or just waking up and finding out it was all a dream or not really as bad as it seemed. And then feeling complete joy knowing that our stay in the hospital was finally coming to an end and being able to take my son home and begin to live. It was scary at first bringing him home without 24 hour care; I worried over every cry. I thought it was challenging just being a new mom, now I had more than a few added responsibilities.
Since we have moved to Calgary there has just been an enormous out pouring of help for us.
I definitely have to give a big shout out to Treadz Auto Group and all of the staff, especially Sean and Richie who helped me with all the business details. They were amazing. They made me feel so special and so deserving. I would have been ecstatic with a reliable mommy car (eg: Cavalier, Neon, Sunfire) but they decided I needed a “sexy” mommy car. A ’98 Volvo S70 which is a European cop car. HELLO!!!... now that is one classy car. Built like a tank, top of the line in safety, excellent suspension which is great for Julian ;), GORGEOUS, and a dream “Mommy Car!” They helped me to get head start on my insurance and also gave me “Treadz Bucks” towards service. Like I would go anywhere else...I don’t think so!
The best part of all of this is the opportunity to watch my son grow, to see him do things we weren’t sure he would be able to do, to watch him laugh and play, to feel the love that you feel for your child. It’s the kind of love that makes you want to do better; be better. I have an appointment with Mount Royal University to look at going back to school to train to be a nurse. I want to be able to give back and to help those people who may have to go through what we have gone through. Wish me luck.
