Long Live Little Brats

Thanks to contributions from our invaluable partners, sponsors and major donors, we can launch these innovative projects. To implement them, we have the best minds in the world and the solid reputation of McGill University’s Faculty of Medicine, the best in Canada.

Innovation is the key to progress, and The Children’s is uniquely positioned to make new breakthroughs, set new standards and move mountains.

PROJECTS

THE HEALING ART PROJECT

For 40% of The Children’s patients, the Hospital is almost a second home. Average hospital stays are 8 days and some kids are hospitalized for months. Dedicated staff, highly trained professionals and state of the art equipment aren’t enough to make the Hospital a child-friendly environment.

We will create partnerships with Montreal’s cutting-edge multimedia agencies and Quebec’s artistic talent to fill The Children’s with
purposeful healing art, which has been proven to speed healing by reducing children and teens’ anxiety, stress and perception of pain.

SMART HOSPITAL

Hospitalized children’s vital signs are monitored manually or by machines, which takes more manpower, limits their ability to move and prevents their parents from holding them. Babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit are a prime example.

We will put children back in their parents’ arms, where they belong, with a pilot project to develop wireless vital signs monitoring. It will be a first for children in Canada and will serve as a model for other pediatric hospitals.

COMPLEX CARE CENTRE

40% of patients at The Children’s are seen by an average of 16 physicians from at least 6 different specialties. Their complicated needs are difficult for parents to manage and are poorly understood by community healthcare providers, causing added stress for parents.

We will create Canada’s first complex care centre to deliver personalized, comprehensive and coordinated care at the Hospital, in the community and at home. Our evidence-based best practices and programs will serve as a template for others.

PEDIATRIC CENTRE FOR APPLIED NANOMEDICINE

Liquid biopsy cancer project: Solid tumours represent 30% of pediatric cancer tumours. Children must undergo multiple painful bone marrow and tumour biopsies to ensure their treatments have been successful. In the case of brain tumours, this is not always possible.

In this pilot project, we will eliminate painful bone and tissue biopsies, and give new hope to children with brain tumours. We are developing simple blood tests to detect the exosome fingerprint to identify and monitor cancerous tumours. These discoveries will serve as a model for other
diseases and pediatric hospitals throughout the world.

PEDATRIC CENTRE FOR APPLIED GENETICS

Universal genetic screening for kids with cancer: Up to 10% of all children with cancer have a genetic risk of developing one or more cancers later in life. Many immune system disorders can also cause aggressive cancers.

We will create the first clinic in Canada dedicated to discovering the genetic links that predispose children to cancer. We will screen all young
cancer patients, using artificial intelligence and our unique research platforms to identify risk factors for secondary cancers and remove this stressful burden from children and their families.

APPLIED BIOLOGICAL THERAPIES CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE

Biological therapies are the fastest growing treatment for children with autoimmune diseases and will be the treatment of choice for almost 50% of them in 5 years. However, not all children respond identically, and little is known about the long-term effects on kids.

We will discover and improve personalized therapies with fewer side effects, starting with a real-time study of 350 patients in year 1, and adding 50 to 100 more each subsequent year.

100% FUNDED PROJECTS

CENTRE FOR COMPLEX PAIN – Donation from the Louise and Alan Edwards Foundation

Thanks to innovation breakthroughs in pain management, over the next five years hospital stays for children who are living with complex pain can be reduced, visits to the Emergency Department can be decreased and fewer patients will need to use opioids.

MINNIE’S HOPE – Donations from BMO and The Hewitt Foundation

At-risk Cree and Inuit children living in Kuujjuarapik and Whapmagoostui can receive culturally sensitive services in their community at the Minnie’s Hope Centre.