Henry Nathaniel Pickard is Innisfail's Miracle Treat baby.
Born prematurely with a weight of two pounds 11 ounces to 21-year-old Bailey Pickard on Feb. 20, “Nate” also was diagnosed with Down syndrome and a congenital heart defect.
“Nate was born 12 weeks early,” said Pickard. “I had called into work (Dairy Queen) at 2 p.m. and told my boss that I would not be into work as my water had broken.”
Mark Kemball, owner of the local Dairy Queen, told her “not to worry”, and prayed for the best.
“In the back of my mind, I was thinking this may not turn out well,” said Kemball of the early labour. “But he was born at 5 p.m. at Calgary's Foothills Medical Centre, and here he is now.”
Baby Nate was hooked up to feeding tubes until a month ago, when he was disconnected and Pickard had to learn to feed him.
“My baby spent six weeks at Foothills, then was transferred to the Alberta Children's Hospital for another six weeks,” said the young mother. “The care at both facilities was outstanding and Nate would not be here if we did not have these facilities.”
While wandering the halls of the Alberta Children's Hospital, Pickard was struck by the wall that recognized the sponsors who had donated to the institution so generously over the years. She stopped by the Dairy Queen logo.
“I had worked at the Innisfail Dairy Queen for six years, and sold balloons for Miracle Treats and never expected that I would actually be here,” said Pickard. “I was there with my baby, and he was being cared for by the very people I helped support. He is my miracle baby, my Miracle Treat baby, and it changed the way I look at things now.”
The Innisfail mother stayed at Ronald McDonald House in Calgary while Nate was being cared for in the hospitals.
“Just like the hospitals, Ronald McDonald House was amazing to me,” added Pickard. “Every night, someone would come in and make supper for us, and the support from the home was incredible. This really was a community effort for which I am grateful.”
Nate was ready to go home to Innisfail when he was struck with a strep infection, which attacked his entire body.
“Nate had a high fever, and every part of his body was attacked by the infection,” said Pickard. “When adults get strep, only their throat is targeted. It's different for babies. The Alberta Children's Hospital sent him to Red Deer hospital where he recovered from the infection and we brought him home.”
Meanwhile, Nate had been called to go to Edmonton's Stollery Children's Hospital where he had surgery on July 3 to correct his congenital heart defect.
“We just came back from the heart specialist in Calgary, Dr. Harder, and she told us that Nate passed the checkup with flying colours,” said Nate's grandmother Sharon Davis. “He will only need one more checkup six months from now, and after that, an annual examination will be needed. This is a miracle.”
The smiley five-month-old now weighs over eight pounds and has started drinking from a bottle, which has been a surprise.
“He just keeps improving,” said Pickard.
The staff of Dairy Queen has adopted Nate as their own and continues to support the young mom any way they can.
“Just like Bailey, I never thought that one of our own would need to use the hospitals we support through Miracle Treat Day,” said Kemball. “You expect to hear that someone from Toronto or Winnipeg went there but not one of your employees.”
The owner said that this year's donation will go to the Alberta Children's Hospital.
“Dairy Queen's Miracle Treat day will be held August14 this year,” said Kemball. “Over my 25 years of doing this, we probably have donated more than $150,000 to both hospitals, with $10,000 from last year alone. Nate is our Innisfail miracle baby.”
"I was there with my baby, and he was being cared for by the very people I helped support. He is my miracle baby, my Miracle Treat baby, and it changed the way I look at things now."Bailey Pickard
