Raising a disabled child in an abled world takes a toll

By Louise Kinross Today is Bell Let’s Talk day and we want to join the dialogue by talking about mental health and parenting children with disabilities.Over the last decade, studies show that parents of children with a range of disabilities like cerebral palsy, autism and Down syndrome have higher rates of depression and stress than other parents. This 2013 Australian report provides a good overview of our unique mental health challenges: Enhancing...

Read More

Stars for children who die, and those who remember

By Louise Kinross In 2012, Connor McHardy, 7, “got his star,” says his mother Mindy. It’s one of 370 glass stars on the wall in the playroom at Roger Neilson House in Ottawa, a hospice for children named after the NHL hockey coach.“It’s the idea that although a child has died, his or her star shines brightly at Roger Neilson House, which provides comfort to many,” Mindy says. “It’s one of those spaces you ‘feel,’ and many find it hard to...

Read More

'I was afraid to make a mistake, so I hid behind the camera'

By Louise Kinross Sweet Dreams for Chiyo is a film that follows the Ehara family when their toddler Chiyo is diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Parents Rhiana and Kaz are filmmakers, so Kaz gets behind the camera as the family—which includes Cai, then three months—adapts to checking Chiyo's blood sugar around the clock and counting every carbohydrate she eats. Missing a hypoglycemic episode—when blood sugar dips dangerously low and the person...

Read More

'We are hungry for neat, tidy stories.' Grief 'is much more messy'

By Louise KinrossLast year, several parents whose children had died came to Holland Bloorview staff with an idea: They wanted to hold an annual celebration of life at the hospital to recognize their children and to develop supports for bereaved families. “When you walk through the door for the first time after, there’s a sense that you don’t belong anymore,” recalled Bruno Geremia, whose son Matthew died three years ago. “We live in a culture...

Read More

Virtual reality may help kids with autism adapt to new situations

By Louise Kinross Many of us have less than pleasant memories of taking the bus to school or summer camp. But for children with autism, a noisy, unpredictable bus can be particularly anxiety-producing.That’s why researchers at Holland Bloorview are working with film company Shaftesbury to create a virtual reality experience that helps desensitize children with autism before they hop on the bus.They’ve already rented and filmed a school bus...

Read More

Medicine is 'ultimately a humanistic and human endeavour'

Photo by Julia Soudat for U of T NewsBy Louise KinrossLast April, Dr. Arno Kumagai became vice-chair in education for the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto. He’s an endocrinologist from the University of Michigan who studied the molecular mechanisms of diabetic complications before turning his attention to medical training. At the University of Michigan Medical School, he developed a course that paired students with patients...

Read More

Share your mental health story on Bell Let's Talk day

By Louise KinrossWith Bell Let's Talk day coming up Jan. 31, I'm gathering comments from parents that BLOOM can post anonymously on social media that day. What would you like the world to know about how raising a child with a disability in our culture affects your mental health?More than a decade of research shows parents of children with a variety of disabilities have higher rates of depression and anxiety than other parents. What are your...

Read More

In dark times, reaching out

Our new A Family Like Mine video features a remarkable mother who wants to break the silence around mental illness. Leomina Valderrama has two sons: Bryan, 22, and Brendell, 15. Since Brendell was born with cerebral palsy, seizures, and complex medical needs, Leomina has dedicated her life to his care. In recent years, her husband Gilberto struggled with depression. Leomina reached out to social worker Barbara Germon at Holland Bloorview to...

Read More