For Meghan Pacan, Miracle Treat Day on Aug. 11 will certainly have much more meaning than for most others.
Born in September 2014 with a vascular ring — where her aorta was wrapped around her trachea and esophagus — she needed open-heart surgery within months of being born.
In March 2015, the surgery was performed at the Cadiac Diagnostic and Interval Unit at SickKids. Her aorta was unravelled from the esophagus and trachea, and a small hole in her heart was repaired.
Less than a year later, Meghan was diagnosed with 22q11.2 syndrome, also known as DiGeorge syndrome, characterized by a small piece of chromosome 22 missing. Her heart conditions can be attributed to DiGeorge syndrome, said a press release from The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids).
Meghan's mom, Kim Pacan, has more than one connection to SickKids. Her son, Ethan, was born with a hole in his heart, and while it doesn't require surgery, he is monitored at SickKids.
Having two children requiring the services of SickKids is why the family is passionate about sharing information on heart defects, and letting others know they aren't as uncommon as one might think. Each year, one in 100 babies is born with a heart defect. SickKids performs more than 85 per cent of pediatric cardiovascular surgery in Ontario.
Every year, Dairy Queen restaurants across the province donate proceeds from every Blizzard sold to the Children's Miracle Network member hospitals. This year marks the 14th annual Miracle Treat Day. In Sudbury, funds will be directed to The Hospital for Sick Children.
“Year after year, we are inspired by the number of Dairy Queen fans who show up on Miracle Treat Day to enjoy a Blizzard in support of local children’s hospitals,” said Candida Ness, senior director of marketing, Dairy Queen Canada.
“Throughout our 32-year partnership, we’ve learned that the perfect recipe for a successful Miracle Treat Day is our fans plus the unwavering dedication of our franchisees who support and fundraise for sick children and their families on Miracle Treat Day and throughout the year.”
Each year, hundreds of volunteers including Dairy Queen employees, franchisees, executives, media and celebrities, come together on Miracle Treat Day in support of the 14 Canadian Children’s Miracle Network member hospitals.
The funds raised on this day and throughout the year help provide critical treatments, pediatric medical equipment and fund research at children’s hospitals across the country.
“We are grateful for the dedication and hard work of Dairy Queen, its operators and team members,” said Adam Starkman, chief development officer, Children’s Miracle Network.
“The energy, especially around Miracle Treat Day, that the teams bring to raising money for their local children’s hospitals, is a true demonstration of Dairy Queen’s commitment to giving back to communities.”
Quick Facts:
- Since the partnership between Dairy Queen and Children's Miracle Network began in 1984, more than $115 million has been raised in support of sick and injured children across North America.
- Every minute, 62 children enter a Children's Miracle Network member hospital for treatment in Canada.
- In 2015, SickKids managed 1,400 clinic visits of patients from the Sudbury region.
For more information, visit miracletreatday.ca.
