Vayle

Before baby Vayle even took her first breath, her parents Kendell and Andrew knew she would live with a serious medical condition.

What they didn’t know is two more diagnoses were on the way.

“We were exhausted, scared and confused,” says Kendell. “We were unprepared for something like this and our vision of our first day as parents was completely changed.”

When Kendell was pregnant with Vayle, she learned Vayle would one born with one kidney. Kendell and Andrew felt concerned but were reassured knowing Vayle would have a pediatric nephrologist at HSC Children’s Hospital following her journey.

In June of 2021 Vayle was born in Brandon, where the family lives, but she needed to be airlifted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at HSC Children’s in Winnipeg when doctors discovered another complication—a life-threatening malformation preventing her digestive system from working properly. She spent five days in the NICU before her care team felt she was stable enough to return home.

Kendell and Andrew spent the next few months driving the two and a half hours from Brandon to Winnipeg—and back again—every other week with their newborn baby. At five months old, Vayle had a procedure at HSC Children’s to correct her malformation.

“The day of her surgery was the longest and scariest day of our lives,” says Kendell. “It was beyond terrifying to hand our baby to a nurse and know that she was about to endure a five-hour long surgery. When she was finished, we felt more at peace than we had in months.”

The procedure was a success, but her surgeon discovered yet another health complication—the right side of Vayle’s body was larger than the left. Following her recovery, Vayle was referred to HSC Children’s once again and experts diagnosed her with Hemihypertrophy, a condition where one side of the body grows faster than the other.

“We were sad for her as she had already been through so much, but we knew we were a strong family who could navigate through another diagnosis,” says Kendell. “It took us some time to come to terms with another condition and another team of doctors entering our lives.”

Children with Hemihypertrophy have an increased risk of developing cancer so Vayle has been closely monitored to check for any tumors. She also regularly sees her nephrologist—who says her one kidney is strong and thriving—and will continue with frequent checkups and testing to make sure all her conditions remain stable.

“We will be forever grateful for all of the care she has been given and have only ever had positive experiences at Children’s Hospital,” says Kendell.

“Every parent who has visited with us in the waiting room, every health care expert to help Vayle, every nurse that comforted us and helped Vayle heal has made us feel like we are part of a family. They all empower Vayle to be brave and proud of herself after every single appointment.”

In June 2026 Vayle celebrated her fifth birthday. Her parents describe her as a kind, caring, and happy kid who loves her friends and family. Vayle enjoys ballet classes, playing soccer and T-ball, and learning.

Vayle also loves eating ice cream, which is an amazing fit because Kendell has been an assistant manager at a Dairy Queen location in Brandon for seven years, since the store opened.

Every year Kendell and the DQ® teams across Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario raise funds for children like Vayle on Miracle Treat Day, where 100% of proceeds from Blizzard® Treats go towards child health care and research.

“Thank you for supporting this incredible cause,” says Kendell. “The money will help families in their darkest and scariest times. Because of your donations, our daughter can live a normal life amongst her peers.”

Celebrate this delicious way to make a difference on August 13, 2026, and purchase a Blizzard® Treat to #ContinueCaringForKids like Vayle!