Stefano’s Stories: Caring for the whole family

March 2026

When children are in hospital, especially for long stretches of time, it affects the whole family. Caregivers and kids can all feel stressed, overwhelmed and scared. That’s why at Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba, we’re so grateful there are experts and donor-supported Child Life programs to help families cope.

March is Child Life month and Music Therapy month – when we celebrate the dedicated teams who bring joy, comfort and distraction for kids who need treatment and care. Kids like Calvin, who spent three months in pain, going back and forth to HSC Children’s Hospital – Manitoba’s only children’s hospital.

In January of 2025, when he was three years old, Calvin started to get very sick. At first parents Hannah and Scott thought he had the flu, but his symptoms escalated quickly. He began vomiting, complained of a severe headache, and became unusually sleepy. When he struggled to stay awake, they knew the situation was serious and he needed HSC Children’s Hospital Emergency.

In emergency, testing confirmed Calvin had meningitis and he was admitted to HSC Children’s where he stayed for about a week. Emergency was the first stop for Calvin, but to this day he still relies on the care at HSC Children’s.

Calvin lives with an autoimmune disorder called myasthenia gravis, which was well managed until his bout with meningitis, and after his first hospital stay Calvin had more flare ups of pain. Between January to March, he ended up at Children’s Hospital Emergency six more times overnight before a final 16-day stretch as an inpatient where he needed imaging, testing, medication, pain management and a nasogastric (NG) tube for nutrition.

Hannah remembers many long days where Calvin couldn’t move and the hope she felt when he started to improve.  

“We started to see progress in Calvin for the first time when he was in the playroom,” says Hannah. “It was the first time he wanted to move.”

The playroom at HSC Children’s is run by Child Life specialists who are experts in child development and helping kids cope during difficult times.

Child Life programming includes:

• Children’s Hospital TV (CHTV), the in-house TV station that provides free programming for all patients and broadcasts a live, daily show to engage and entertain kids in hospital
• Music Therapy, including song writing, instrument lessons, group sessions and one-on-one visits with certified music therapists to help kids relax
• The Library Program, which includes The Book Corner lending library with books and DVDs for all ages, a book cart that visits each unit three times a week, book and movie baskets readily available on each unit and group and one-on-one reading sessions with dedicated library staff to bring kids comfort and connection
• Therapeutic Gaming and Technology support program which uses video games and DVDs to help children cope through distraction, normalization, fun and enjoyment
• The playroom with engaging and developmentally appropriate toys and a mini hospital environment where kids can learn about procedures and treatments they will experience in hospital
• Special celebrations including holidays and activities to provide distraction and help families make meaningful memories in hospital

Now Calvin is back at home, full of energy, playing with his siblings Lucas and Heidi and enjoying life as a happy, active child. He loves the Winnipeg Jets, skating, hockey, puzzles, monster trucks and biking; he learned to ride a two-wheel bike shortly before he turned four in the summer of 2025.

Calvin and his family still visit HSC Children’s often for follow-up care.

“It is now a very familiar place, and we take comfort in the fact that Calvin now walks the halls looking for the fun things he remembers (the playroom, books, toys) rather than all the scary parts,” says Hannah.

Child Life programming is 100 per cent funded by donors. Hannah says she is deeply grateful for the kindness of our community and the role they play in helping families like hers through some of their hardest days.

“Your generosity helped our son feel safe and still experience joy during a very stressful hospital stay. It supported not only his emotional wellbeing, but our family’s ability to cope. That difference is something we will never forget.”

Donate to Child Life programs now.

*In the “Designation” section, please select “Child Life Program” from the dropdown menu*