On Wednesday night, we safely gathered in the Newman Gardens and lit our 2023 Christmas tree and gardens to ring in the holiday season! We had a big help from three and a half year old Calum MacDonald who pulled the candy cane switch with his big brother, Lauchlin, and IWK Health CEO, Dr. Krista Jangaard.
On October 10, 2023, Kathleen Patterson brought her son, Calum to the emergency department at the Inverness Regional in Cape Breton for a suspected ear infection. Within 24 hours, Calum was diagnosed with Leukaemia at IWK Health and began his Chemo treatment three days later. Since then, Calum has lived at the IWK for the past two months, undergoing two rounds of treatment so far and requiring one more in the coming weeks.
In the new year, Calum and his family will head to Toronto for Calum to receive a bone marrow transplant. With only a 25 per cent chance of a match, big brother Lauchlin was tested as a bone marrow donor and was found to be an exact match, meaning at only eight years old, Lauchlin will be Calum’s donor for the transplant.
In addition to the transplant, Calum and his family are looking forward to celebrating Calum’s “first” birthday during the 2024 leap year! Born on February 29, Calum will be turning four years old this year, and while the family will be in Toronto with both boys recovering, they plan still celebrate in whatever ways they can!
Thank you to all the folks involved in lighting up our Newman Gardens again this year including Perpetual Services for installing the lights, the HRM Fire Department for escorting our special guest, and of course Santa for taking time out of his busy schedule to visit us.
Please take some time this holiday season to stroll the gardens and enjoy the lights as a community.
Happy holidays!
![Parents watch Calum and Lauchlin run towards Santa arriving](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-12/_DSC0074-Enhanced-NR.jpg?itok=8qVhZD_q)
![Calum, Lauchlin and mom looking at Santa by a fire truck](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-12/_DSC0081-Enhanced-NR.jpg?itok=ZvQZg7E7)
![Calum, Santa and Lauchlin holding hands, walking towards the gazebo](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-12/_DSC0099-Enhanced-NR.jpg?itok=Z2Frquae)
![Calum, Santa and Lauchlin looking up at the lights in the Newman Gardens](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-12/_DSC0109-Enhanced-NR.jpg?itok=no0zJJND)
![Calum, Lauchlin, Mom and Dad with Santa, Krista Jangaard and Chris Fowels](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-12/_DSC0118-Enhanced-NR.jpg?itok=MdT3GgSV)
![Calum, Lauchlin and Santa looking at Christmas tree](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-12/_DSC0138-Enhanced-NR.jpg?itok=yzIGzTIw)
![Calum, Lauchlin, Mom, Dad and Grandmothers with Santa in front of Christmas tree](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-12/_DSC0166-Enhanced-NR.jpg?itok=ewbgpEtf)
![Calum smiling with Santa and Lauchlin](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-12/_DSC0173-Enhanced-NR.jpg?itok=OtRpRzUq)
![Santa walking with Calum and Lauchlin holding hands](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-12/_DSC0196-Enhanced-NR.jpg?itok=6B6LjOx6)
![Santa shaking Lauchlin's hand with Mom](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-12/_DSC0213-Enhanced-NR.jpg?itok=wkh-bCFE)
![Calum, Lauchlin, Mom and Dad with Santa giving a thumbs up](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-12/_DSC0236-Enhanced-NR.jpg?itok=9rduys_h)
![Calum sitting in the fire truck with Mom's help](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-12/_DSC0250-Enhanced-NR.jpg?itok=BR63LcfT)
![Calum stilling at the steering wheel of a fire truck](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-12/_DSC0255-Enhanced-NR.jpg?itok=yz4LxBHx)
![Calum and Lauchlin in a fire truck](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-12/_DSC0286-Enhanced-NR.jpg?itok=TfI1fwyH)
![Lauchlin and Calum smiling through a fire truck window](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-12/_DSC0308-Enhanced-NR.jpg?itok=0xXxhQqM)
![Lauchlin holding Calum in the fire truck](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-12/_DSC0315-Enhanced-NR.jpg?itok=3-DDEFMB)