Our little miracles

Each year, more than 5,800 kids are admitted to the Children's for all kinds of different reasons.

Some of these patients are considered "little miracles" because their journey is out of the ordinary.

As part of its annual series "Les miraculés", Le Journal de Montreal recounted the journey of five children treated at The Children's. Some cases will make you cry, others frown by their unusual nature. Certainly, none will leave you indifferent.

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Benjamin is three years old and always wears his little backpack; but don’t be a fool, it's not to go to school. It’s because he has a rare disease (mitochondrial) that requires him to be fed intravenously at all time. His body refuses to absorb the food and instead tries to evacuate it quickly. But thanks to Dr. Hema Patel and her team at the Children's, Benjamin can live a (nearly) normal life.

Read his story (French)


Zaïra, born at 27 weeks of pregnancy, lived the first two years of her life with a tracheostomy - her larynx was too soft to let her breathe alone. She underwent a dozen operations, and the most recent changed her life: the Children's doctors transplanted cartilage, taken from her ribs, into her larynx, to solidify it. Today, she can finally talk!

Read her story (French)


At a few weeks old, Eve had an allergic reaction and developed severe patches of eczema all over her body. The allergy tests were unequivocal: 12 foods were dangerous for his health and had to be avoided. Eggs, milk, peanuts, among others. But Dr. Christine T. McCusker, of The Children's, did not give up and did desensitization tests for 2 years on the little one. The results are fabulous!

Read her story (French)


Catherine Laurence was in a coma for one month, following a brain hemorrhage caused by a protein C deficiency. Half of her cranial box had to be cut due to too much pressure. Dr. Mirko Gilardino of the Children's has installed a custom-made computer-made prosthesis. The operation was a success, and on top of it, Catherine Laurence has managed to successfully finish her school year!

Read her story (French)


Lyvia was operated in emergency when she was only 9 days old. During her mom’s pregnancy, Lyvia’s diaphragm had not closed and her internal organs had climbed into her ribcage. The second diagnosis issued by the Children's team helped to save her. Today, even if her right lung is smaller than her left, she will celebrate her first birthday!

Read her story (French)