Stefano’s Stories: Reimagining support, healing and recovery

December 2025

Happy holidays everyone.

We’re inspired by the families who share their stories and health care journeys with us. In turn, it gives hope to other families who need Manitoba’s only children’s hospital.

I want to introduce you to a young girl named Ella who will be with her family this holiday season. 

What started with a rash and fever escalated to fatigue, bruising, weight loss, and the inability to walk. Bloodwork confirmed Ella’s parents worst fear – she was diagnosed with leukemia when she was only three years old.

“I took her to walk-in doctors multiple times for these symptoms with no success,” Ella’s mom Camille remembers. “We were terrified, had so much anxiety and worry.”

It was after an appointment with Ella’s pediatrician who ordered the bloodwork, that they were referred to pediatric specialists at Children’s.

Over the following months, Ella’s treatment brought the family to many areas of care in Children’s like the Pediatric Day Unit and Children’s Emergency Department. They spent the most time – hundreds of hours even – in CK5. That’s the childhood cancer and blood disorders ward where children and their families face the most challenging time of their lives.

“The staff do the best work and were supportive of our family,” says Camille. “I cried every day the first month of Ella’s diagnosis. They knew all the right things to say to help. They were there for Ella when she was scared, crying and fighting. I remember the first night of her diagnosis – Ella and I were terrified. They allowed my husband to stay late with us until we fell asleep.”

But the rooms haven’t been updated since the 1980s and didn’t match the excellent care kids like Ella receive. Her mom Camille wishes the rooms had been more comforting or child-focused to help take Ella’s mind off the treatment.

Today, Ella is five years old and finished treatment on Aug. 5. She is happy, healthy and full of the energy that was temporarily stolen by cancer.

Making hope possible for every family is something we do at the Foundation. That’s why we’re reimagining what all in-patient and treatment rooms can look like. Starting with CK5, the transformation is already underway, adding enhanced technology, improved infection control, and functional designs for better patient flow. Kid-friendly décor with joyful colours and artwork will help lift spirits. Patient rooms will have better, more comfortable furniture for parents who stay overnight. Plus, bathrooms in each room and a brand-new kitchen will help bring comfort to families. Workspaces for parents will also allow caregivers to stay close to their kids receiving treatment and care.

You can help us with this transformation. Donate before December 31, and thanks to the generosity of the K + P Talbot Community Fund and the Talbot Family Foundation, your gift will be matched. That means $5 becomes $10, $25 becomes $50 and $50 becomes $100.

Let’s make anything possible. Please make your special holiday donation at goodbear.ca today to DOUBLE your impact for kids like Ella, for kids who spend weeks or months receiving treatment for some of the most complex childhood illnesses.

Did you know, cancer remains the most common disease-related cause of death for children? So, with this campaign we’re also raising funds for breakthrough research into childhood cancer with PROMISE research at Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba.

Do you want a sneak peek at what the rooms in CK5 could look like? We have a pop-up room set up at Outlet Collection Winnipeg, which is also where we’ll be for Dr. Goodbear’s Holiday Give-A-Thon on Dec. 12. Please come say hi.

One more thing. We’re launching a new initiative to bring more comfort to kids receiving care on the childhood cancer and blood disorders ward. For the CK5 Art Project we’re inviting local artists to help transform inpatient rooms and adjacent spaces into vibrant, healing environments filled with colour, playfulness, and hope. Selected artists’ work will be printed on large-format, hospital-grade vinyl, turning blank walls into joyful worlds that spark curiosity, reduce anxiety, and help young patients heal.

Grounded in the Foundation’s belief that together we can make anything possible, the CK5 Art Project centres diversity, inclusivity, and reconciliation to ensure the artwork reflects and uplifts the wide range of children and families who rely on this space. Artists are encouraged to explore themes of nature, friendship, imagination, and adventure to create fill rooms with walls that soothe, distract and inspire those facing long and difficult hospital stays. With the call to artists now open and proposals due Jan. 9, 2026, this project is set to redefine what healing spaces can look like. All of us at the Foundation are excited to watch creativity and community come together to support kids who need it most.