Saskatchewan Champion Child to honour late twin brother
The Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation has announced the 2019 Saskatchewan Champion Child.
On Thursday, Blake Wheeler was named as the 2019 Saskatchewan ambassador for the Champions Presented by Walmart program, which honours children who triumphed despite severe medical challenges.
Blake Wheeler, 12, is making a special tribute after a terrible childhood experience. He and his fraternal twin brother, Noah, were expected to be born prematurely but nobody was prepared for their severely premature arrival 14 weeks early.
Just after their birth, both babies were taken to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Heart murmurs were detected in both children, but heart surgery proved to be too much for Noah, who passed away. Meanwhile, Blake was in for the fight of his life. He spent the next four months on ventilators, feeding tubes and IV lines. After 110 days, Blake was finally healthy enough to go home.