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It was the year 2000…

• We had all just survived Y2K (if you don’t know what that is…ask your parents).
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas would become one of the highest grossing movies.
• The Razor scooter was the toy on every kid’s wish list.
• Most teens were more likely to still have a pager than a cell phone.

It was the new millennium and, little did we know, it was also the dawn of a new age at CHEO — one where youth would come together to create change. At the time, CHEO’s Family Advisory Council...

In the past year, despite the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, CHEO Audiology has reduced the wait time for elective hearing assessments from 300 days to just over 50 days.

“Making sure families have timely access to CHEO Audiology is always a priority,” said Chantal Lessard, Coordinator, Audiology. “I am so proud that through a global pandemic, we were able safely cut the wait time for hearing assessments and provide stress-free care to children and youth with autism spectrum...

Whenever he gets the chance, seven-year-old Vitaly Rivas busts a move to bring a smile to staff and patients at CHEO.

When Vitaly Rivas was two years old, he heard the Thriller record for the first time and started to dance. His parents showed him a music video and since that moment, Michael Jackson hits are the only music Vitaly listens to.

Now seven, Vitaly has a seizure disorder that results in him visiting CHEO frequently. “I believe a way for him to cope with his condition is to dance,”...

“I’ve learned so much that sometimes staff at CHEO will ask me if I am a nurse,” said Taylor Gervais. “I always tell them no, not officially, but I am Payton’s nurse.”

Taylor is three-year-old Payton Caron’s mom. Their family, including dad, Alan-Michael Caron, and sister Amélie are from Timmins, an eight hour drive northwest of Ottawa.

It is for little girls like Payton and busy parents like Taylor that two CHEO staff worked to improve care for kids with complex airways. Karen Perreault...