Winkler’s Pacey Wall helped raise $34K for Children’s Hospital
It was quite a year for Winkler’s Pacey Wall.
The 10-year-old spent the past 12 months serving as Manitoba’s Champion Child, helping to raise money for Health Sciences Centre (HSC) Children’s Hospital.
“It was a lot of fun. I loved making big speeches in front of large crowds of people,” Wall said Monday as his time in the role came to an end.
Wall has spent countless hours receiving treatment for intestinal failure at the Children’s Hospital in Winnipeg. He’s been in and out of the emergency department and on wards since complications first arose at age three, even spending many holidays and birthdays in hospital.
But he hasn’t let his health challenges dampen his positive spirit
“I choose to look at the good things in life instead of just looking at all the bad things,” he said. “That’s what helps me in life.”
When asked to be the face of the 140,000 children who receive care at HSC Children’s Hospital each year, Wall said he jumped at the chance.
“Raising money for your children’s hospital, it feels like it helps,” he said, thanking staff at HSC for all their care over the years. “I want to make sure all kids get all the care they need to have better futures.”
In his time as Champion Child, Wall attended more than 40 awareness and fundraising events to share his story and shine a spotlight on the work and research being done by the hospital.
There were certainly a few highlights through the year, Wall shared.
“I loved all of them a lot, but probably the Flyers” was his favourite event, he said, talking about the Winkler junior hockey game he attended in December. “We raised a good amount of money there.”
Wall and his family—dad Benji, mom Kim, and sisters Addison, Bailey, and Savannah—also got the chance to go to Walt Disney World in Florida with other Champion Children from across Canada last spring.
“It was fun,” Wall said. “The last few days we went on the roller coasters and I really loved that.”
Wall’s efforts helped to raise $34,000, split between HSC Children’s Hospital and the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM).
It’s a number he’s quite pleased about.
“I’m very happy because I got to donate $17,000 to research and $17,000 to surgery, and I think that’s a good amount of money for that.”
The funds will purchase four rigid laparoscopic telescopes for the pediatric surgical department at Children’s Hospital. These tools visualize the contents of the abdomen and thoracic cavity to allow for diagnosis and treatment of various conditions.
“Pacey is making a difference by improving the experience for other children who need surgery,” said Dr. Richard Keijzer, the hospital’s pediatric surgery lead. “Having the right equipment for procedures makes sure our teams can continue providing the best care possible for all kids.”
Funds will also go towards emergency care research at CHRIM through the new theme, Research into the Enhancement of Acute Care for Children’s Health (REACH). REACH will build inclusive, strong and sustainable infrastructure to scale existing research, and support a stronger base of researchers that can continue to innovate and improve acute care
“Pacey’s family knows firsthand how important acute care is, and we’re so thankful he has chosen to help other kids through research,” said Terry Klassen, CHIRM CEO and scientific director. “We have all likely experienced acute care for ourselves or a loved one in our lives, and Pacey’s gift will create meaningful change for children who need emergency care.”
“Pacey inspires me every single day,” noted Stefano Grande, president and CEO of the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba. “His bravery in sharing his journey, and his drive to help other kids like him is so meaningful. We’re so grateful to Pacey and his family for everything they have done to help give better futures for children in our community.”
Wall has some advice for the next Champion Child, who will be announced next month.
“Be positive and don’t worry, really, about all the people,” he said. “Kind of let yourself just do it.”
