Turning ice cream into miracles

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 08/08/2023 (983 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Keira Davlut takes a large spoonful of her strawberry cheesecake-flavoured ice cream as she encourages people to eat a Blizzard on Aug. 10 in support of children’s hospitals nationally.

For every Blizzard sold on Miracle Treat Day, participating Dairy Queen locations will donate all net proceeds to their local children’s hospital, providing funding for research, specialized tools and equipment and recreational programming to help sick and injured children.

“You’re supporting a cause that’s really awesome — every child deserves to be healthy,” said 12-year-old Keira, this year’s patient ambassador for Miracle Treat Day.

She represents one of 130,000 children who receive care at the Health Sciences Centre Children’s Hospital each year in Winnipeg.

At two weeks old, Keira was diagnosed with craniosynostosis, a condition in which one or more of the fibrous joints between the bones of a baby’s skull fuse together too soon, before the brain is fully developed.

The condition can cause eye, ear, spine and breathing problems, facial defects and possible developmental delays unless there is early intervention.

Keira has been receiving care for bicoronal synostosis, meaning both sides of her skull were fusing too early.

“It’s always hard as a parent when you’re handing your child over to the doctors and nurses and you’re trusting that they’re going to do the best that they can for your kid,” said Melanie Davlut, Keira’s mother.

She remembers watching hospital staff take her nine-month-old daughter into surgery for a craniotomy, a procedure that cut Keira’s head open from one ear to the other to make space for her brain to grow.

Waiting eight hours for her baby to come out of surgery was difficultx, Daylut said through tears.

“You just hope everything will be OK,” she said.

Keira was closely monitored in the pediatric intensive care unit following surgery. She was covered in tubes and bandages, but it wasn’t long before she was sitting up and giggling, said Davlut.

“When they get better, or when they’ve had their treatments or surgeries, it’s just amazing to see them bounce back because kids are so resilient,” Keira’s mom said.

At 10 months old, Keira wore a helmet to protect her skull, which comforted her parents as she learned how to walk.

She has had three additional surgeries: one at age three to get ear tubes to help with hearing and prevent ear infections; another at age five for ear tubes and the removal of adenoids, helping her to breathe through her nose and mouth; and her most recent surgery at age eight, for bone graphing to prevent her skull from sinking.

Keira continues to access care at Children’s Hospital each year and visits dentists and eye doctors every six months to help with her eyesight and any shifting of her jaw.

As an avid performer in musical arts, she appreciates the activities and programming available for sick and injured children in hospitals, such as music, books, arts and crafts and video games.

Dairy Queen has raised more than $2 million across Manitoba since 2006.

Staff at the Sterling Lyon Parkway location say they look forward to Miracle Treat Day every year.

“One Blizzard will make a big difference for the kids in the Children’s Hospital,” said manager Vanessa Nicolas.

She hopes their store will double their proceeds to $10,000, supporting children in need of treatment.

“The hospital needs this money to make sure that kids are healthy because everyone deserves that chance,” echoed Davlut.

tessa.adamski@freepress.mb.ca