One day recently Jasmine Baldry was thinking about gratitude, community, and her little brother Darwin’s upcoming birthday.
It dawned on her that a good way to celebrate his 11th birthday would be to do a fundraiser for the pediatric unit at Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre. As a young child, Darwin had spent many days in and out of the hospital. Jasmine wanted to recognize all the help he received there.
Jasmine, 26, said her mom, Sharman Baldry, had started fostering children about 12 years ago. One day she was contacted to take in nine-month old Darwin Young who had been in the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton since birth because he was medically fragile. He was determined to be “globally mentally delayed.”
Jasmine said her mom wasn’t looking to foster infants, but the family was convinced to just go to Edmonton and meet Darwin.
“He had the biggest eyes and we just loved him. We’re like, we’re taking him home, he’s ours,” Jasmine said. They brought him home to Red Deer. Three years ago the family was able to officially adopt Darwin.
Jasmine said that Darwin’s biological mother lived in an isolated northern area and wanted him to be close to medical facilities. As an young child, he needed to be within 20 minutes of a hospital.
Doctors didn’t think he would live very long, nor did they think he would develop very much. He had a feeding tube up until about age six.
Today, Darwin is healthy, happy, and communicates by sign language. He is also a top student in his class. He’s good in Math, said Jasmine.
“He’s exceeded doctors’ expectations.” He takes regular classes at Grandview School in Bowden where the family moved to in 2008. He hasn’t been in the hospital for about three years now.
Jasmine’s family and the school hopped on board to help raise funds, said Jasmine. She began the one-month campaign in September for the pediatrics unit, with a goal of $3,000.
Money was raised online and by a birthday carnival for Darwin at the Bowden Friendship Centre. The carnival raised $1,800. The total funds raised surpassed the goal, with the final tally of $3,455, said a very grateful Jasmine.
Staff at the pediatrics unit, including recreation therapist Melissa Adkins, were delighted with the donation, given to them this week and which will be used to purchase toys, presents, crafting supplies and other similar items.
Jasmine said when they visited Darwin in hospital during long stays, the family spent a lot of time with him playing games, drawing and colouring.
“It was those moments that kind of brought a little bit of normalcy into a rather unideal situation.”
barr@www.reddeeradvocate.com