SickKids Hospital “Child” of The Week | Helena
Metroland Media Toronto
Wednesday, April 5, 2023
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Helena at 3 Years Old It started with an earache but resulted in something much worse than a common childhood ear infection. A series of tests confirmed Helena had cancer at age three. Needles, procedures, and chemotherapy at The Hospital for Sick Children became the norm for little Helena as doctors began her treatment protocol. Helena finished the difficult part of her treatment but continued some in-Hospital and home therapy. |
The 11-year-old East York resident and cancer survivor is an ambassador for the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), and was recently named the 2016-2017 Children’s Miracle Network Champion Child presented by Walmart. She can be seen in the new SickKids VS campaign, the hospital’s biggest and boldest campaign yet.
“People are like, ‘Wow, you survived, you’re so great, wow,’” Helena told Metroland Media Toronto. “And I’m like no, I’m nothing compared to my friends who are still fighting right now. I am nothing compared to them.” Helena Kirk doesn’t want your pity or admiration, she wants your help saving her friends’ lives.
Helena's SickKids Story | SickKids Hospital in Toronto
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Helena 8 years later at age 11 as featured on www.toronto.com |
It’s that fighting spirit that Helena is thrilled to see embodied in the VS campaign.
“I love it,” she said of the campaign. “It’s so fierce, and it really does show how all these children are fighting. It’s like a big war ground of SickKids, and the kids, and the medicine against the sickness, and the pain and the suffering.”
Diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at three years old, Helena underwent daily chemotherapy treatments for 841 consecutive days. After the two-and-a-half years of daily chemo, she was monitored closely for another two-and-a-half years before being declared cancer-free. Though she has lingering effects from her battle, including muscle and nerve damage, she’s an avid martial artist and swimmer. She loves Pokemon and comic book superheroes, and wants to be a veterinarian one day. Thanks to the life-saving care she received at SickKids, she has the chance to see that dream through.
Helena's mom Sarah agreed the VS campaign really hits the mark.
“When we were told the concept of the new commercial all of us were like yes, that’s exactly it. It’s tough, it’s gritty, it’s powerful, it’s strong. It’s not weak, it’s not pitiful, it’s not sad,” said Sarah. “Of course there are sad moments, but even some of the kids that we know that passed, the strength, and courage and bravery they showed was staggering. It was still strong even though they lost their battle.
“Some of the bravest, strongest, toughest people I’ve ever met are little kids that I met on that eighth floor at SickKids,” she added. “To me, when I hear children have cancer, I don’t think of weak. I think of this strong, tough little warrior that puts a smile on their face and has fun in spite of everything they’re going through.”
SickKids helped Helena stay positive throughout her medical journey. Between the hard times, she said there would always be joy.
“The doctors and nurses, they are amazing. They’re so nice and friendly, you just can’t help but feel like they’re family now. And there would always be like clowns and stuff, and there’s two playrooms that I would always go to, and those ones I really liked. It was just an overall fun place for a three-and-a-half year old to run around,” she shared. “If everybody wasn’t so welcoming and friendly, and there wasn’t anything good, then the memories would have all been painful and all really just bad in general.”
Cancer is the No. 1 killer of children by disease. Only injuries claim the lives of more Canadian children.
“One in five children will die from their cancer (within five years),” Helena noted. “I just want people to know that it’s OK to say, ‘Oh, I feel so bad for them. I sympathize and I wish they get better.’ But it’s even better to make sure that happens by fundraising. Every little bit helps.”
As a Children’s Miracle Network Champion Child, Helena will attend events and deliver speeches advocating for the children’s hospital network and SickKids Hospital, the beneficiary of funds raised locally through the network. She will also travel to Florida in March for a conference with all the 2016-2017 Champion Child titleholders from throughout North America. A child is chosen to represent each hospital in the network.
During speeches, Helena uses her bravery beads to help show what children fighting cancer go through. At SickKids, decorative beads are given to children each time they undergo a procedure and also when they show exceptional courage. Helena has more than 600 beads marking transfusions, spinal taps, the surgical implantation of a titanium port in her chest, losing her hair — which happened twice — and much, much more.
“It just reminds me of how fortunate I am that I don’t have to go through all of these procedures and stuff, that I’m cancer-free,” she said of her beads. “But it also reminds me that we need more research for the children who are still going and adding to their strings.”
That is the amazing story of Helena. Hope you found it as inspiring as I did. And remember, your referrals change lives! We donate a portion of our income on every home sale to a great worthy cause like SickKids to help kids like Helena. To find out more visit: www.ReferForSickKids.com.
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