Recipient Stories

From Father To Son

On the surface, it’s a simple story. Tyson’s kidney failed at the age of three and he needed a new one. Since it sometimes takes years to find a matching donor, Tyson’s dad, Lee, decided to give Tyson one of his. The complicated part was the monthly trips from their hometown to Saskatoon, and then the month-long stays in Edmonton for prepping, for the transplant itself, for fighting off viruses and infections, and for the removal of Tyson’s other failed kidney. There’s only so much a family can manage, so the Kinsmen Telemiracle Foundation helped Tyson’s parents with the extra expenses for meals, accommodations and travel. It was Lee who stepped up to save his son’s life. The donations to Telemiracle simply gave Lee one less thing to worry about.

When a hug just isn’t enough

Talking to Tena makes you wish she could be your grandma, or your children’s grandma. She couldn't be sweeter. You can't help but want to take care of her. Through the Kinsmen Telemiracle Foundation, everyone in Saskatchewan has helped Tena. She received funding for three different lifts – one that lifts her from her scooter to her recliner chair, one that lifts her from her scooter to the front seat of her van, and one that lifts the scooter into the van. In 1990, Tena was paralyzed from the waist down due to an inflammation in her spinal cord. She has lived with chronic pain for 20 years. While she and her husband Aaron have managed remarkably well over the years, it seemed like high time for the Kinsmen Telemiracle Foundation to give Tena a lift!

David is one of a kind

David was born in 2008 with a giant omphalocele. It is a condition where the abdominal organs grow outside the body in a thin sack of tissue and occurs in only one out of every 10,000 babies. Additionally, he has a hole in his Heart and severe respiratory disease. David and his parents, Tracy and Brent, traveled back and forth between Humboldt and Saskatoon for ultrasounds and testing. It was only the beginning of a year-long series of trips to hospitals in Saskatoon and Calgary. Tracy wrote to the Kinsmen Telemiracle Foundation, saying, "Our funds are vanishing as quickly as our spirits." It wasn’t long before donations to Telemiracle were helping the family with their expenses for travel, food and accommodations. David is home now and the Foundation is keeping tabs on him. Says Tracy, "It has been a huge relief to know we have them to turn to when there is nowhere else."

Ten toes, ten fingers … and a Telemiracle

On February 1, 2010, as Kendall’s parents counted their new daughter’s fingers and toes, a nurse was doing a more thorough exam. She mentioned that she thought she heard a murmur in Kendall’s heart. While heart murmurs are not uncommon and often seem to fix themselves, such was not the case with Kendall. She needed surgery at a hospital in Edmonton. Kendall’s parents would have taken her to the ends of the earth for that surgery, but even Edmonton created a financial burden for the family. The Kinsmen Telemiracle Foundation was there to help them with funding for meals, travel and accommodations. Now Kendall is back home making up for lost time by chasing after her big sister.

Alexander's Miracle - A Chance at life!

By his first birthday, Alexander was almost walking. In a sense, it should have come as no surprise. Alexander had already proven he’s a boy who takes giant steps. When Alexander was born, the left side of his heart was underdeveloped. He had open-heart surgery when he was less than two weeks old. After five weeks in three different hospitals in three different cities, he was ready to go home for the very first time. A second surgery in Edmonton, requiring two more weeks of hospitalization, came quickly just three months later. Alexander’s parents have been with him every step of the way. And so has the Kinsmen Telemiracle Foundation, with funding for travel, meals and accommodation.