Mason Donkin has a lot to look forward to this summer.
After undergoing three surgeries from October to November last year, he and his family are excited to host the Walk for Chiari fundraiser this July for Chiari malformation (CM).
But, what is Mason looking forward to most?
“Seeing a lot of his friends that he goes to school with here in the community, and then he gets to fundraise for SickKids, which is so important for him,” says mother, Jennifer Donkin.
Mason went undiagnosed for four years before doctors figured out he was suffering from CM. Research shows that CM occurs in about one in 1,000 births, and is characterized as structural defects in the skull, brain and spinal cord. However, CM can also be diagnosed later in life if a traumatic injury, disease or infection causes spinal fluid to drain into the spinal canal.
The most common symptoms consist of but are not limited to neck pain, fine motor impairments, balance impairments, numbness in the hands and feet, and dizziness.
Mason has done advocacy work for SickKids for many years, appearing in commercials, on posters and billboards for CM – bringing more awareness to the disease that affects many.
In November, when Mason had his final surgery, it was a result of having to take out an implant that functioned as a pacemaker for his bladder. Unfortunately, he had a soft-tissue infection, resulting in his being admitted to SickKids Hospital for 14 days.
“He was admitted, was receiving IV antibiotics, and then, unfortunately, the infection just didn’t subside. So, they had to go in and do another surgery to remove it,” said Jennifer.
She says Mason will be going back to SickKids in August to try the implant again.
“We’re just waiting to see,” she said.
The Walk for Chiari fundraiser started in 2017 and ran for three years until the pandemic hit. After being unable to provide the fundraiser from 2020 to 2021, Jennifer says the hope is to raise enough money to get Mason’s name on a plaque at the hospital. This would cost $50,000 and, to date, they have raised more than $36,000.
The walk’s route will go around the BWG Leisure Centre, in front of Bradford District High School on Professor Day Drive, and back around to rejoin in front of the BWG Library.
How can the community get involved?
“We have pledge forms that (attendees) can receive. They can register at the event at the registration table, and if they have pledges that they’ve collected, they can bring those at that time, or they can just make a little donation to attend the walk,” Jennifer says, “and there is the online website for the SickKids Foundation for Mason, where you can make an online donation (if unable to attend in person).”
Jennifer says since the first event in 2017, they have watched it get bigger and bigger. At the fundraiser event, there are many ways to get involved. There is a silent auction, raffle tickets, face painting, food vendors, pottery activities, as well as opportunities for businesses to donate and gather funds for the walk while bringing the community together.
Jennifer says it’s important to raise awareness.
“In doing that, we’ve met quite a few families that are experiencing the same condition, and so it’s nice for Mason because he’s able to feel connected to somebody else,” she said.
Raising awareness is their main priority, as well as helping with funding the new hospital build.
“It’s really important to us to fundraise for such an amazing facility that we are so fortunate to have so close to us,” she said.
The message Jennifer and her family want to deliver is that this event is a great opportunity for the community to come out to support Mason and other medically challenged children, and to fundraise for SickKids Hospital, which Jennifer says is like Mason’s second home.
“We value SickKids and everything that they’ve done for Mason and, of course, what they do for everybody else that’s going through similar events. Everybody there is so supportive, whether it’s a doctor, a nurse, a surgeon, child life specialists, and volunteers,” she said.
The Walk for Chiari fundraiser event will take place on July 23 at 11 a.m. at the Bradford Leisure Centre. To donate or learn more, click here.
