Charity lamb raised to help Children’s Hospital
Shannon LeClair
Times Reporter
When Kylee Hebbes was picked to raise this year’s charity lamb for the 4-H on Parade show in Calgary on behalf of the Standard 4-H Sheep Club, she instantly knew where she wanted the funds to go.
Hebbes picked the Alberta Children’s Hospital, a place that has become like a second home to her and her family. She was born with several heart defects and scoliosis and has been a patient at both the cardiology and orthopedic clinics since birth. She had two holes in her heart and then a patent ductus repair, said mom Heather.
She also had Wolff-Parkinson-White system which is an arrhythmia that would make her heart beat faster than normal, and she would go into heart failure because it wouldn’t slow down. She had surgery three times to fix the problem. It finally worked the last time, and at the end of June it will be two years since Hebbes has been medicine free.
Two years ago Hebbes’ brother Landon’s charity lamb sold for just over $5,800 with the funds going to the Children’s Hospital. Hebbes is hoping to see $10,000 raised with her lamb, which will be the fourth charity lamb the Standard Sheep Club has raised for the Children’s Hospital in five years.
“I would like to get enough to make an effect, so probably even $10,000 would be good,” said Kylee.
She would like to see a large sum raised so that the Children’s Hospital can purchase much needed equipment or use the funds towards research. The hospital has been such a strong part of the family’s life that they plan to continue showing their support any way they can.
“Well she wouldn’t be here probably,” said Heather about why the hospital is so important to her.
“Lots of amazing, amazing people that we will be done with in six months which is the scary part, because she will be 18. It’s kind of like a little family we had, and now we don’t.”
“It’s the reason I’m still here for one. They’ve always been so caring and nice. Whatever I needed, they always help me through it while I was stuck in the hospital for all the days after surgeries or aftercare. They’re like a second family like mom said,” said Hebbes.
Hebbes’ dad is now a patient at the hospital’s Genetic Clinic. He has a rare neurological disease doctors are trying to diagnose. She is happy to know now that she is also helping her dad who has spent so much time helping her over the years.
The Alberta Children’s Hospital serves more than 82,000 patients each year. When you give to the Children’s Hospital you are supporting family centered child health programs, specialized life-saving equipment and advanced pediatric research. The majority of people you talk to know someone who has benefitted from this amazing hospital in either a small way or a very big way. Kylee and her 4-H club are hoping that people open up their hearts and donate to a great cause such as the Alberta Children’s Hospital. If more information is required please call 403-901-5756. On June 2 at the Calgary Stampede Grounds the charity lamb will be on the auction block.