CHEO stories

CHEO provides mental health support for parents after NICU stay

Parents experience sudden trauma, shock, fear and sadness when a baby requires intensive care immediately after birth, and they have to face many losses.

That first cuddle. The first feed. Those first minutes, hours, days, sometimes weeks and months together.

It’s then emotional and often overwhelming when their baby leaves the ICU.

“They go home and are coping with anxiety. They're coping with the trauma,” said Carol Openshaw, a social worker at CHEO.

Openshaw supports new parents, mostly mothers, while babies are...

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A mother's gratitude and a mission to serve: Sheila James’ journey to CHEO

Meet Sheila James, Director of the Office of Indigeneity, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access and Social Justice at CHEO.

Sheila James vividly recalls the moment that changed her career trajectory. As a former artist turned equity advocate, she never envisioned a career in healthcare. She had grown up with two parents who were physicians, seeing long hours, calls in the middle of the night and the stress that came with the profession.

But everything changed when an email from CHEO landed in her inbox.

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Virtual reality studied to help manage anxiety during injections

CHEO is expanding its use of virtual reality (VR) to help children and youth with cerebral palsy who struggle with anxiety when receiving intramuscular-administered medication, part of a multi-site study on the benefits of VR as a distraction tool.

Kids with cerebral palsy (CP), the most common childhood motor disability, face higher-than-normal muscle tone. One of the treatment methods is botulinum toxin, commonly known as Botox, which relaxes the muscles.

Needles aren’t easy for kids and this treatment has

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Elevating care as a physician assistant: Natalie’s Beauchamp’s story

Meet Natalie Beauchamp, a physician assistant in CHEO’s intermediate care unit (IMCU).

Natalie Beauchamp has experienced CHEO from both sides of bedside care. From ages six to 12, Natalie was a patient at CHEO and underwent multiple surgeries for ear, nose and throat issues. Today, she’s back at CHEO as a physician assistant (PA), helping children and families navigate their own medical journeys.

“Being a patient here gave me my first glimpse into hospital care,” Natalie said. “Now, seeing the...

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Jackson Wu: Spreading kindness and finding connection at CHEO

Meet Jackson Wu, an environmental services attendant at CHEO.

Jackson Wu has been a beloved member of CHEO’s environmental services team since 2009. Initially drawn to CHEO for the chance to work closer to home in a steady, full-time position, Jackson had previously worked in personal support as a healthcare assistant at a retirement home, taking on part-time and unpredictable agency shifts.

“I wanted one significant place to be — somewhere I could come to work, do my job and know my hours,” he...

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