Meet Bretton, Our 2008 Champion Child
After suffering for months with ear infections and insatiable thirst and hunger, 2-year-old Bretton’s parents knew something was wrong. Mom Shelly remembers that at one point, Bretton was drinking almost 100oz’s of water a day, and was so thirsty, he would even gulp his bath water.
Trips to the local doctor in Saskatchewan resulted in antibiotic prescriptions, but Bretton was getting more sick. While visiting their hometown Winnipeg, Shelly and her husband Todd booked an appointment with their family doctor who immediately sent the family to the Children’s Hospital Emergency Room.
A normal blood sugar level for someone Bretton’s age is 4mmol, at diagnosis he was 43mmol. Their doctor indicated that at that point, Bretton had a window of 12 hours where he could live or die, depending on how successfully his blood sugar levels could be lowered.
Upon arrival at Children’s Hospital Emergency, the family says they received exemplary care.
Little Bretton was very brave, having his blood sugar tested. He had paddles on his wrists to avoid tearing out the IV’s. The family spent 5 days in Children’s Hospital, most of those days in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. The family says the nurses were amazing and showed great care and compassion. The family left Children’s Hospital feeling confident that they could take care of Bretton and his disease.
Bretton now visits the Diabetes Education Resource at Children’s Hospital, every 4 months for tests and consultations.
Bretton is now almost 12-years-old and is an exceptional child. He is so kind and generous and extremely caring of other people. Even though he lives with finger pokes, he never complains. The family admits, they all hate the disease, but have learned to accept it and live with it.
Bretton is a true spokesperson for Type 1 diabetes, always ready to explain how his insulin pump works and why he needs to check his blood sugar so many times a day. He is a strong advocate to find a cure for the disease. Bretton has big plans to play in the NBA. He lives and breathes basketball and loves school. Bretton has played piano for the last 7 years, and is looking forward to being in band in junior high. He tells people who ask him how he can live with Type 1 diabetes, "I’m just a normal kid!"
Bretton and his family hope for a cure for Type 1 diabetes in their lifetime and are so grateful for the Children’s Hospital, they realize the importance of funding programs, like the Diabetes clinic for children, will help kids just like Bretton live normal and healthier lives.
On February 5, 2008, the Children's Hospital Foundation announced the appointment of Bretton as the 2008 Champion Child.
Each year, the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba takes part in the Champions Across Canada, presented by Wal-Mart Canada program which selects a child to represent the Children’s Hospital. This child embodies what it means to be a survivor. One child from each Children’s Miracle Network hospital is chosen to represent the millions of kids all over North America that are treated for various conditions. Winnipeg Children’s Hospital is one of the exceptional centers that cares for sick and injured kids.
Wal-Mart Good Works is a community involvement program based on the philosophy of operating globally and giving back locally. Wal-Mart Good Works is a proud sponsor of the Children’s Miracle Network and the underwriter of the Champions Program.
The Children’s Miracle Network is a not-for-profit organization that supports 170 children’s hospitals including the Winnipeg Children’s Hospital. The organization is dedicated to improving the lives of children by raising funds for hospitals across North America.