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A front pack takes Louise where she wants to go
By Louise KinrossLouise Sertsis never saw herself as an entrepreneur. But that was before she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and began using a wheelchair. It bothered her that to carry a purse...
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Jess translates studies into words that families understand
By Louise KinrossJess Silver is passionate about health and how we translate research into words the average person can understand. She works as a research assistant in Holland Bloorview’s Prism lab,...
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Payal sees children's rehab from a newcomer perspective
By Louise KinrossSeven years ago, Payal Khazanchi and her family immigrated to Canada from Oman. At age five, Payal’s daughter Aakanksha was diagnosed with global developmental delay. Payal assumed...
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Bobbi finds her dream job in health records
By Louise KinrossBobbi Champagne is a self-described nerd who loves technology and medicine. She came to Holland Bloorview as a George Brown health information management student in 2015, and was hired...
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For many, Joanna is the face and voice of Holland Bloorview
By Louise KinrossJoanna Miedzik is an institution at Holland Bloorview. She’s the bright smile that greets you at reception, and the kind voice when you call in with a problem. Joanna has an...
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Collective advocacy must replace mother-led campaigns
By Louise KinrossA decade of activism by British mothers of children with disabilities hasn’t produced positive change in the lives of disabled people, write two researchers in a fascinating article...
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In nursing 'everything good comes from the heart'
By Louise KinrossShevonne Thatham is a registered practical nurse at Holland Bloorview working with children who have complex disabilities and use ventilators to breathe. She just won the DAISY award,...
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'I'm trans because that's who I am'
By Louise KinrossLogan Wong is known for his stylish bow ties. But in this photo, he's wearing a shirt with the colours of the transgender flag: blue and pink, the traditional colours for boys and...
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'We Carry Kevan' aims to inspire a new model of inclusive travel
By Louise KinrossKevan Chandler paid a visit to Holland Bloorview last week on a tour to promote his new book We Carry Kevan: Six friends. Three countries. No wheelchair. We’ve interviewed Kevan twice....
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How to keep in touch
Do you want to read and watch family stories about parenting children with disabilities? And hear about what it's like to work in children's rehab? Plus get links to mainstream disability news and...
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This short film about living with a dad who has cerebral palsy, uses a wheelchair, and communicates with a pointer and letterboard, is now available on YouTube. My Dad Matthew is seen through the eyes...
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'Kindness matters...that is what good care is'
By Louise KinrossKaren Ward has worked with children with disabilities for over 30 years. I met her 22 years ago, when my son attended a Scarborough nursery school run by Easter Seals (the program is...
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Busy engineer finds happiness in children's hospital
By Louise KinrossEmile Benyamin is an engineer who spends his days taking care of robots. His robots extract DNA from human blood and saliva, so it can be studied in research and clinical labs in...
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Why do so many parents feel inadequate?
By Louise KinrossWhen I first saw the title of Ann Douglas's new book, Happy Parents, Happy Kids, I was a bit skeptical. I wasn't sure if it was too simple a premise to apply to the unique challenges...
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In 2019, physical restraint of disabled people is still a thing
Illustration from Captive and invisibleBy Louise KinrossA couple of months ago I wrote down 'physical restraint and seclusion' as a story idea. But when I looked at it on the list, I kept hoping there...
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Off-duty officer kills non-verbal man, injures parents in Costco
By Louise KinrossThis is a horrifying story for all of us in the disability community who love someone who doesn't speak, and may not be able to comply with police orders in conventional ways.On Friday...
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'Our nursery programs are a model for social change'
By Louise KinrossIt’s a simple ritual, but one of Silvia Souto’s greatest joys. “Opening the door of the classroom at Play and Learn, and seeing the faces of the children—so happy and eager to come and...
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After trauma, parents need space to 'fall apart emotionally'
By Louise KinrossSay the word ‘trauma’ among parents of kids with complex medical problems and disabilities, and the floodgates open. Maybe their child is medically fragile, and they run a mini-ICU at...
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When a child has 24-7 needs, mothers bear the costs
An early photo of two of Sheila Jennings' childrenBy Louise KinrossAs the mom of a son who had severe asthma and a life-threatening immune condition, Sheila Jennings learned firsthand that it was...
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'I open up a world for kids to be able to participate in'
By Louise KinrossI have a strong image of Laurel Robinson (standing above), a speech-language pathologist at Holland Bloorview. Laurel is always racing up the path to the hospital, or back down to the...
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Spiral Garden means freedom, creativity and time together
By Louise KinrossThis summer is bittersweet for brothers Osmond (above right) and Edmond Shen (left). That’s because it’s the last one they’ll spend together in Spiral Garden. Osmond, who is 21, has...
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Diverse dolls help children 'appreciate themselves as they are'
By Louise KinrossWinnie Mak is part of a multicultural family. She is Chinese, from Hong Kong, and her husband Rafael is French and Greek. They live in London, U.K., and after their son Alex, now 4,...
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'Foolishness' plays a critical role in rehab
By Louise KinrossThe ‘fool’ in Shakespeare’s plays and the ‘trickster’ in Indigenous stories held an important role in upending the status quo. A Holland Bloorview paper published this week in the...
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Click click. Dress your chair with stylish, snap-on accessories
By Louise KinrossIt’s a bit of bling for the wheelchair, and security and control for the user. Lucy Jones—named one of the world’s brightest entrepreneurs by Forbes magazine in 2016 for designing...
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BLOOM becomes part of Holland Bloorview's new website
By Louise KinrossHolland Bloorview is launching a new website at the end of August, and BLOOM will be a part of it!Rather than standing alone, BLOOM will be integrated into one site with the hospital...
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