Mid April Update
Back at work for my second week after having COVID. Seems the whole family is in good health now and I haven’t personally noticed any lingering symptoms or issues. Looking forward to meeting my new rheumatologist (rheumatoid arthritis specialist) next week (!!!) so there may be a few days of ‘wonky schedules’ to get through at the radio station. I’m thankful for the support I have and continue to receive at work regarding my health issues. Gotta take care of this body and this life while I’ve got it!
BIG NEWS: My birthday wish for the kids at CHEO is getting a signal boost from my radio station. For the next week or so, you’ll hear ads encouraging donations for the hospital’s child life department - they then give gifts to kids receiving in patient treatment. Something I’m very familiar with. This is my biggest cause that I love to support. If you’d like to contribute, please CLICK HERE.
COTTAGE NEWS: Some major expenses are on the immediet horizon, like: new chimney, water line (well & pump) corrections and a visit from our local neighbourhood exterminator! Woohoo! Now, before you judge me for hiring pest control LET IT BE KNOWN that I’m hoping to only have one inaccessible area of the cabin cleared out; the nightly scratch-scratch-scratching behind the head of my bed (in the wall) has GOT to stop! I’m not going murder-happy on the local fauna.
We’re hoping to get the cabin ready for guests earlier than May 24 weekend, so if you’re a pal & want to book some time at the lake - get in touch! Someone’s gotta help me pay these bills!
If you’re reading this, I hope you had a wonderful easter weekend. Sunny days ahead!
Amy Volume's BIRTHDAY WISH - Year 4!
Help me celebrate my birthday by giving a gift to a child receiving in patient treatment at CHEO (Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario). All proceeds go directly to CHEO’s Child Life department who provide kids with wonderful and much needed distractions in many forms: books, toys, craft kits and other forms of entertainment.
I’m turning 36 on April 25th (woah!) - help me celebrate by buying a gift for a kid receiving in patient treatment at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, aka CHEO! All money raised goes to CHEO’s Child Life fund and you can learn more about the fund by CLICKING HERE.
Launched in 2019, we’ve raised $5,000.00 and I”m hoping to add another $2,500.00 in 2022. This is a mighty ambitious goal but, as long as I have a birthday, I’ll keep trying to provide entertainment and levity to those who deserve it most: kids in hospital.
This cause is very important to me. I am a CHEO kid. I spend a lot of my childhood in hospital, diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at eighteen months (1988) it was Sick Kids in Toronto until CHEO built their own Rheumatology Clinic (which I believe is the Infectious Diseases clinic in today’s terms).
As you can imagine, I missed a lot of school - never did make it on to any teams (sporting, social or otherwise) - in fact, I missed my own highschool graduation due to joint fusion surgery.
When you’re little and in need of a smile, CHEO’s Child Life department delivers. Please consider giving a gift to a child to help me celebrate my birthday. This fundraising effort is ongoing, year round. If you cannot donate at this time, there is no pressure! There are no deadlines! I just ‘get loud’ about it every April because that’s when I celebrate my birthday.
Help me celebrate by making a financial donation OR by buying a gift from my Wish List (will be delivered to my work address and brought to CHEO by me):
The photo above this text is of me delivering gifts & money to CHEO. This was my first year buggin’ you for donations. If you consider the average gift costing $25, to date, we have collectively given over 200 gifts to kids (aged 0-18) receiving in patient treatment at CHEO.
My 35th Birthday Wish for CHEO Kids!
My 35th birthday is April 25th and I’m hoping you’ll give a gift to a child in treatment at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario aka CHEO to help me celebrate. We’ve been doing this since 2018 and my goal for 2021 is to hit $5,000. Will you help?
Please give a gift to a child in treatment at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario this April.
If you’re in my family or friend circle and you’d typically treat ME for my birthday, the best gift I could receive that really lets me know that you’re thinking of me comes in the form of a financial donation to CHEO’s Child Life department.
All proceeds go to providing a child (ages 0-18) in hospital with a new toy, game, book, art supply kit and other forms of entertainment (escape) while undergoing treatment.
In previous years, you’ve been able to swing by the radio station or a tour, a chat and a photo (sometimes even a hug or a hi-5). Unfortunately, in person donations are postponed until we can all safely gather again.
Here are some photos from my Birthday Wish:
To be totally transparent, this fundraiser is ongoing. I started it in 2018 and promote it every year during my birth month (April). I want to make it as financially accessible as possible for those who wish to give a gift to a child who could use the distraction. In my personal experience as a CHEO Kid (which runs deep; from 1988 to 2003), many children who spend a large amount of time as ‘in patients’ (receiving treatment that requires them to essentially live in a hospital room) don’t have a lot of options in terms of NEW gifts, books, toys that are JUST for them. Many come from socioeconomically challenged or disadvantaged homes and YOUR generosity makes a massive, life changing impact.
As I age, the urgency to let children with rare diseases or crummy circumstances know that there is hope for a brighter future rises. If I was a millionaire and able to donate in a massive way, I’d probably still be asking you to contribute to the Child Life Department because awareness and acceptance is part of the giving process.
I have spoken about my disease in detail before but if you have any questions that aren’t answered in these posts below, please feel free to reach out.
Here’s a recent video I created to explain Autoimmune Diseases in an easy to understand way: