Meet Éveline
Meet Éveline
“Even at 1 year old, she knew how to ham it up to get someone smiling.”
Letter from A Dream Parent:
Before my daughter Éveline was born, an ultrasound at 18 weeks showed that her kidney's were slightly enlarged. Doctors began to keep an eye on this, and by 23 weeks things had worsened. Her kidneys had become very larger, her bladder was unable to empty, and she had no amniotic fluid left.
As the doctor told us the reality of Éveline's situation, all we could do was trust and hope that one day we would see our baby girl. The weeks went on, and Éveline continued to grow and thrive even without amniotic fluid. Then, at 34 weeks, she joined us unexpectedly via emergency c-section.
What followed were some of the most difficult months of our lives. It took over 4 hours to get Éveline stable enough to move to the NICU. She could not breathe on her own, had no kidney function, received a broken femur through birth, and was on many medications to keep her alive.
We were told that our Éveline might not make it through the first 24 hours, but she did.
She spent the next 3 months in intensive care, fighting for her life in more ways than one, each and every day. At four months old, we celebrated a day we never thought we would see: we took our daughter Éveline home.
Since then, Éveline has had many ups and downs, stays at the hospital, and medical scares. She requires dialysis every night, which comes with many challenges — but nothing stops Éveline.
“There is so much more to Éveline than her medical history. She’s incredibly stubborn, has a very persistent attitude, and will do anything she can on her own.”
On March 18th, 2020 - we had the great joy of celebrating Éveline's 1st birthday. It was a day we really did not think we would see. She's become such a happy, smart little girl and we have been so blessed. Today, Eveline is now two years old and has been healthy over the last year. She is currently being worked up for her transplant, which we’re hoping will take place in Fall of 2021.
To share the impact of Éveline's medical journey on our family - she is the only baby on peritoneal dialysis in Manitoba, and only the 3rd baby with this prognosis to make it to their first birthday. She has spent 173 days of her short life in the hospital, has had 6 surgeries, 11 infections, and will need a kidney transplant when she grows big enough.
With all of that said, there is so much more to Éveline than her medical history. She is the youngest sibling to 2 sister and one brother, whom she absolutely adores. She's incredibly stubborn (if her medical battle hasn't already proven that), has a very persistent attitude, and will do anything she can on her own.
She's also the most social kid I know, loving attention from anyone who will give it. That makes her a favourite among the nurses and doctors. She's so funny, and loves to smile, laugh, and make others laugh. Even at 1 year old, she knew how to ham it up to get someone smiling. She loves music and dancing, and even with her hearing loss can't help but bop up and down to her favourite tunes. She is so smart and attentive, and everything she does blows the doctors away.
We are so, so proud of Éveline for her strength and her determination to keep smiling. We can't wait to start thinking of a dream come true that would be so special for her, and we can't thank you enough for your help to make something so special possible for our daughter.