Greyson's Journey
Published Tuesday, March 4, 2025
Today, Greyson is an energetic 10-year-old boy, thanks to the timely care he received as an infant. “He's full of life,” said Greyson's father Blade proudly. “The second his eyes open, he's ready to get going.”
Helping Hope Take Flight
For Sarah Hannah and Blade Miller, the arrival of their son Greyson was a moment of both joy and uncertainty. Born prematurely at just 26 weeks, Greyson needed critical care that wasn't available at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre's NICU.
“It was a whirlwind,” Sarah said. “One minute I was at home, thinking everything was fine, and the next, I was being told I'd be on an emergency flight to London.”
The moment was equally surreal for Blade.
“I got a call at work that I needed to leave immediately. I didn't know when I'd be back or what to expect.”
Back then, transfer meant waiting for a team to assemble the right equipment to transport Greyson down to the London Health Sciences Centre. Once they got down east, the young couple spent 48 exhausting and terrifying days away from their family.
The good news is, Greyson not only survived but thrived.
The Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation partnered with the Sandra Schmirler Foundation Telethon and the Scotties Tournament of Hearts to help all babies in Northwestern Ontario who were born too soon, too small, too sick, or too far from the care they need. Today, thanks in large part to donors like you, infants and small children can be transferred to get the care they need quickly and safely.
This month, the Hospital launched the new Paediatric Emergency Transport Team (PETT) to improve access and wait times for infants who need another level of care elsewhere. But transporting critically ill infants and children also requires specialized equipment. The Sandra Schmirler Foundation helped the Health Sciences Foundation purchase equipment to complete a second Paediatric Transfer Deck which included a specialized ventilator and defibrillator for the PETT. The Deck ensures fast, safe infant and child transfer from communities in the Northwestern Ontario to Thunder Bay and from Thunder Bay to other speciality centres. Two available decks will allow the team to respond to emergencies in the region even faster.
Today, Greyson is a vibrant and energetic 10-year-old.The family hasn't forgotten the harrowing journey that brought them here. That's why they shared their story and supported this year's Sandra Schmirler Foundation Telethon in the hopes that more families can access the life-saving care their babies need, no matter where they live in Northwestern Ontario.
“It means the world to us to help other families,” Sarah said. “I told Greyson that we're going to be helping people that need this stuff for their children, to give them the opportunity to have what we had.”
They joined other families including Sarah Potts, who played in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts on Team McCarville. Her twin boys also needed speciality care at the Hospital's NICU when they were born. Last weekend, they were cheering their mother on from the stands.
Sarah Potts from Team McCarville and her family along with the Sandra Schmirler Foundation present the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation with a cheque for $70,000. This grant will fund equipment to complete a second Paediatric Transfer Deck, ensuring safer transport for newborns and young patients who need to transfer from their home community for higher levels of care.
Thanks to the generosity of donors like you and the powerful voices of these families, the Sandra Schmirler Foundation's Telethon was a tremendous success! The Sandra Schmirler Foundation presented a cheque to the Health Sciences Foundation for $70,000 “for the purchase of life-saving NICU equipment”.
Together, we're ensuring that no matter where a baby is born, they'll have access to the care they need to thrive.