General News
When It’s Too Much on Your Own – You Are Not Alone
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Originally published by the Comox Valley Record, March 30, 2022
Andrea Rose, Special to the Record
If you were to meet 11-year-old Nikko Segriff you’d immediately see a bright, sparkly-eyed boy with the most infectious mile-wide smile. Nikko loves reading, sports, and playing practical jokes on his parents, and while he always finds a reason to be happy, life hasn’t always been and isn’t always, easy.
Nikko’s life in Canada was off to a rocky start before his second birthday. Kathy and Lino adopted Nikko from an orphanage in southern Vietnam. Prior to arriving the couple was made aware that he had a pre-existing condition which meant he had a tracheostomy in place to assist with breathing.
As far as they understood Nikko would be able to have his trach removed in Canada, and was otherwise 100 per cent healthy, ready to travel to his new home in the Comox Valley.
After a number of months in Vietnam, Kathy and Nikko boarded their flight to Canada, accompanied by a friend who was providing them with extra support for the journey home. During the flight, though, Nikko took a turn for the worse.
“Nikko’s lungs were filled to the rim with infection and with the cabin pressure, he couldn’t breathe, and all of sudden, all this infection was coming out of his trach,” explains Kathy.
“We had to do a blow-by with the oxygen for seven hours to keep him alive,” Kathy recounts, acknowledging what a miracle it was that he made it to the emergency landing where the paramedics met them on board the plane.
Nikko was eventually flown to Victoria General Hospital where he would stay for the next 12 weeks with his mom and older brother, Kalin, by his side.
“It turned out he had a millimetre of airway in his trachea, so the trach was not coming out anytime soon,” says Kathy, who was finding it more and more difficult to cope with the reality that was unfolding around her.
Kathy knew about the support available back home from YANA, but she was finding herself reluctant to reach out for help. The trips and costs began to add up, and so did the stress and challenges of the long and lonely journey. After a number of emails and offers for help from someone at YANA that knew Kathy and her situation, Kathy finally found the courage to reach out for support.
“Of course I knew about YANA, but it was really slow for me to connect the dots that I needed YANA. I kept thinking that it was something that I should leave for other people,” explains Kathy.
“I was the person who would go to fundraisers, I was the person that was donating…I did all that as a single person, and then all of a sudden I was a mother.”
It was during Kathy’s first visit to the YANA office that she felt she could finally unravel and admit just how hard it had become being a mother who was caring for a sick child.
“It was the first I’d sort of said… ‘I’m scared.’ It was the first time I said, ‘this is really hard,’ things that you can’t share with medical staff because they’re just trying to do the medical things, and you can’t share it with sometimes anyone else, because other people that you’re around have sick kids too.”
There was a sense of relief and belonging for the family after embracing the support and community that came along with no-strings-attached assistance for travel and accommodations. YANA provided the family with daily funding each time they were away, as well as covering the costs of Jeneece Place and the various hotels they stayed at over the years.
“It very quickly became obvious, as cliché as the title is, that I wasn’t alone anymore. It wasn’t the money part of it.”
Kathy shares that while they may have been able to find an alternative to offset the costs of the regular trips to Victoria without YANA’s support, any option available would have put a huge additional strain on everyone.
“At some point I think I just decided that when I could start being able to help again, that I would, and that kind of released me about the guilt I was feeling from accepting financial support,” explains Kathy.
“When I contact YANA and I have another appointment, there’s someone who knows this is my fifth appointment in one month…somebody knows the little markers of your bigger journey.”
Nikko’s journey and challenges continue even with the major strides he’s made with his health over the years. Nikko has chronic lung deficiency as well as permanent scarring from the trach and the infection in his lungs, limiting his lung capacity and requiring him to pace himself during physical activity. After 14 or 15 surgeries to his trachea and lungs, Nikko now has 100 per cent airway and can eat and drink, and he’s getting stronger every day.
“He’s a happy kid. He’s never looking for anything to make him unhappy. He sort of sees the humour in everything, and he’s always been easy to be a mom to,” Kathy says about her son, who lights up their home with laughter and jokes every day, and is finally able to participate in gym class at school and extracurricular activities like volleyball.
“He’s so athletic,” Kathy boasts, amazed at just how far he’s come.
Nikko’s older brother Kalin, who was adopted from the opposite side of Vietnam before Nikko, has been a huge supporter for his brother through the journey and all of his surgeries and challenges along the way. The family continues to feel the love from their community from the overwhelming gift of support after nearly eight years and 40 trips they made, and continue making since connecting with YANA.
Nikko’s family was lovingly supported through countless procedures, surgeries, and routine appointments in Victoria. Because of this special, generous community, YANA was able to assure them that through their most difficult days and fearful moments, no matter how many appointments, trips, or years that go by, they would be by their side, letting them know, “You Are Not Alone.”
To find out where you can purchase your Valley Vonka Chocolate bars in support of YANA, visit: https://www.comoxvalleyrecord.com/community/comox-valley-record-launches-valley-vonka/
No Matter How Long You’re Gone, You Are Not Alone
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Originally published by the Comox Valley Record, March 23, 2022
By Andrea Rose, Special to the Record
Looking at 3 year old Aaron Hong, you wouldn’t think that only 6 short months ago he was reaching the end of an aggressive chemotherapy treatment to battle a leukemia diagnosis he was given in the winter of 2021.
It was early in the new year that Aaron’s routine blood work started showing a decline in his platelet count. Otherwise a healthy, energetic toddler, Aaron didn’t come across as being unwell, but concerns grew as symptoms like fatigue and bruising began appearing and Aaron’s platelet count continued declining.
The family was referred to BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver to investigate his symptoms further. The doctor who saw Aaron commented on how healthy Aaron appeared, lending some optimism to the family who was remaining hopeful, although anxious for answers. But the phone call they received shortly after leaving the hospital was not the news they were hoping for.
Shortly after their appointment, Aaron’s parents, Michelle and Chenyu, received a phone call from the doctor, “I usually don’t like to tell people this over the phone, but the blood results look like he has leukemia,” Michelle recalled him saying, “he needs to be admitted right away.”
“It felt like a death sentence.” said Michelle, describing how it felt during the first moments they learned of Aaron’s diagnosis, admitting she really didn’t know much about Leukemia then.
“I always knew in the back of my mind that low blood-platelets are associated with possible leukemia, but I think it was just so early it was hard for them to see.” she explained. “I asked how long we have to be in hospital for, he said, ‘he needs to be inpatient full-time for 6 months’. I lost it. I really couldn’t imagine doing this for 6 months.”
No family can imagine or prepare themselves for this kind of news, wrought with uncertainty and difficult decisions. The family had left behind a busy life, along with their older son Theo who stayed behind in the care of his grandparents. There would be no returning home for a while; Vancouver would become their home-away-from-home and there was no choice but to figure out a path forward.
Friends from the community suggested the family reach out to YANA for support, and soon after a social worker connected Michelle and Chenyu with the organization that would walk alongside them and support them every step of the way.
Aaron’s prognosis was really good, and after the 2nd and most intense cycle Aaron cruised through his treatment. Aaron has Down syndrome, and Michelle pointed out that while it isn’t uncommon for children with Down syndrome to have greater challenges with their immune system, Aaron continued to overcome obstacles.
“Even throughout the treatment, I still thought of him as a well child, although he had this serious disease,” said Michelle, who describes Aaron’s nature as being strong and resilient, even learning to walk for the first time in the halls of BC Children’s Hospital with the help of his parents and an IV pole.
“He just needs mama and papa”, Michelle said. “He was so little so he didn’t really mind being in the hospital as much as we did. All he cared was that we were there with him, we were his most important people.”
Aaron had his mama and papa there with him by his side, every step of the way, thanks to their community, family and YANA who helped make that possible. Along with monthly funding, YANA also provided the family with one of their furnished, downtown apartments within walking distance of BC Children’s Hospital.
“The apartment was exactly what we needed.” says Michelle. “More than what we needed.”
Michelle and Chenyu took turns being by Aaron’s side and staying in the apartment over the 7 months they spent in Vancouver. The apartment became a simple, safe sanctuary where they could recharge, cook, and come together as a family when Aaron was eventually given the green light for short visits. The short visits eventually led to longer visits back to the Valley until the family was finally able to return home last September.
Aaron and his family continue making trips to Vancouver as part of his ongoing care, and YANA continues to provide funding and support for every trip, and the family has no doubt about how special an organization it is to continue to be there every step of the way.
“It’s above and beyond. People were so jealous hearing about what we have…a lot of people are from out of town. We haven’t really talked to anyone else who’s had this.” says Michelle.
Aaron and his family needed to stay in Vancouver for 7 long months. Thanks to the incredible support of a community that deeply cares, YANA is able to say ‘yes’ to families like Aaron’s and countless others. YANA is able to let them know that however long they need to be away in order to be by their child’s side, no matter what, “You Are Not Alone”.
YANA (You Are Not Alone) is a community organization offering help to Comox Valley families who need to travel for medical treatment for a child or for a pregnant mother.
For more information and to find out where you can purchase your Valley Vonka chocolate bars, visit: https://www.comoxvalleyrecord.com/community/comox-valley-record-launches-valley-vonka/
2022 Big Love Benefit another huge success
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Comox Valley, we did it again.
We counted once, we counted twice, we even counted a few more times after that because we could hardly believe our eyes, because together, we raised over and above last year’s shocking grand total, with the final total for the 2022 Big Love Benefit coming in at a whopping $186,000!!
We are in awe, we are grateful, and we are certain all over again of what kind of community it is that we live in: a community that overcomes all obstacles, a community that loves beyond what is required, a community that always, always shows up.
The support YANA provides families would simply not be possible without each and every single one of you. To every sponsor, donor, volunteer, raffle-ticket purchaser, auction bidder, and supporter of this important event, thank you, from the bottom of our very full hearts.
YANA Supporters to Gather for 2022 Big Love Benefit
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Join us for the 2022 Big Love Benefit, YANA’s largest annual fundraiser and auction in support of Comox Valley families!
One ticket has everything you need to participate in both the online auction and live-broadcast event. Purchase your ticket here by making a donation of any amount and receive exclusive access to:
- Shop the online auction open February 15th – 25th, filled with over 200 amazing items, from lavish gift baskets featuring local products to destination packages, art, gift cards, and so much more.
- Attend the virtual gala on February 25th, beginning at 5:30pm with an interactive cocktail hour, 50/50 & WestJet draws, a moving presentation by Karen McKinnon highlighting one of our YANA families, and the always-exciting live-auction to wrap up this incredible night.
- Purchase deliciously curated food and beverage packages offered by our Big Love Select Vendors, offering you an extra-special experience from wherever you tune in to this year’s event.
We look forward to gathering together to show families and the community just how big our love really is!
For more information and to purchase your Big Love Benefit tickets, visit: https://www.yanacomoxvalley.com/yana-event/auction/
YANA Big Love Benefit moves to virtual format
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Dear friends and supporters,
With the Jan. 18th PHO announcement indicating that current restrictions will remain in place until February 16th and reviewed at that time, we have no other choice but to move our Big Love Benefit online for a fully virtual event. As much as we hoped to gather together, hug, and see your beautiful faces in person at this year’s Big Love Benefit, we are counting on another knock-out fundraiser one way or another with the support of this incredible community behind us!
Tickets for this live broadcast event will go on sale January 23rd at 10am and will be available for purchase by making a tax-receiptable donation of any amount. All ticket donations will be matched dollar for dollar up to $15,000 thanks to our generous Donation Matching Sponsor, Brian McLean Chevrolet Buick GMC Ltd.
Your virtual ticket includes links to the live-broadcast event, as well as the online auction which runs February 15th to 25th. This year’s auction features thousands of dollars worth of items to bid on, from lavish gift baskets featuring local products to destination packages, art, jewellery, and so much more, the incredible inventory of prizes is all thanks to the donations from many businesses and individuals from the Comox Valley and beyond!
All attendees will also have exclusive access to unique and delicious food and beverage packages curated by our Big Love Select Vendors including Cheffanie, Jam & Co. Luxury Picnics, Crown Isle Resort & Golf Community and Blackfin Pub, for an extra-special at-home experience while you tune in to this year’s event!
For more information and to purchase event tickets on sale January 23rd, please visit: https://www.yanacomoxvalley.com/yana-event/auction/
YANA supporters to gather again for 2022 Big Love Benefit
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Roll out the red carpet! The 2022 Big Love Auction will take place on February 25th at our signature venue (location to be determined) for both an in-person gathering and a live-streamed broadcast event. Anyone can join in and support YANA families and their children, however they choose, for an unforgettable night of celebration and community spirit.
After a year of re-inventing, and then re-inventing again, adapting to change seems to be the name of the game these days. This year’s hybrid event will include the most loved elements of the Big Love Benefit Gala, with the virtual participation option making it possible for anyone, anywhere, to join in the magic this night brings.
**New Provincial Health orders in effect until January 18th for gatherings will impact this event if they are not lifted or loosened at the end of the timeframe of the current order. Stay tuned for an update on this page after the January 18th announcement, and note that we will be delaying ticket sales until Sunday, January 23rd, at 10am in order to accommodate these new orders.
Tickets will be available in groups of 8 and can be purchased online beginning January 23, 2022 at 10:00am. These hot tickets sell out and you’ll want to act fast!
There are other great ways to support this year’s Big Love event:
- Purchase a raffle ticket for a WestJet Flight for two or 50/50 draw, the winner’s half was over $10,000 last year, so every ticket purchased is a big WIN-WIN! Flight tickets are good for one round trip flight for two guests to any regular scheduled and marketed WestJet destinations. (*No cash value. Fees, taxes, surcharges not included. Blackout dates and restrictions apply).
- Donate to our online auction or make a donation of any amount to receive access to bid on items on February 15th when bidding goes live.
- Sponsor this integral event and help make donations go even further, right back to YANA families and their children.
- Volunteer and be a part of the collective effort to make this vital fundraiser a success. We couldn’t do this without the many hands that make it all possible!
Christmas Cracker Grand Prizer Winner Announced
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This year’s Christmas Cracker grand-prize winner has been revealed! A huge congratulations goes to Sandra Hickman who snapped the winning cracker over the holidays.
The winning cracker was purchased at Quality Foods in Comox as a Christmas Gift. Sandra’s family decided this year that instead of exchanging presents, they would exchange gifts of impact to a local charity, a gift they couldn’t have guessed would contain the grand-prize; a gorgeous set of diamond rings. Sandra is familiar with non-profit work through her work with national charity, Threads of Life, who help families who have experienced a workplace tragedy. It was an easy choice to give back to the community and support YANA in lieu of traditional Christmas gifts, knowing first-hand the difference every donation makes.
All 5000 crackers sold out at businesses across the Comox Valley and through our online store. A huge thanks goes out to our distribution partners, Edible Island Whole Foods Market, Quality Foods Courtenay, Tin Town Cafe, John’s Your Independent Grocer, Quality Foods Comox, Comox Community Centre, and Seeds Food Market, as well as all of the crafters, volunteers, and everyone who purchased a crackers in support of YANA and the families we help. 100% of cracker sales goes directly back into YANA’s travel and accommodation programs thanks to a generous, anonymous donor for this year’s fundraiser.
Check back next year (and early!), you just might be the next lucky winner!
Christmas Crackers 2021 – SOLD OUT!
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As of December 9, 2021, Crackers are SOLD OUT at ALL locations!
Thank you to YANA’s anonymous sponsor whose generosity allowed 100% of every sale to be directed to accommodation and travel funding support for YANA families, and to prize donors Mark the Gold Guy and Tim from Simply Timeless for their neverending sparkly support! Huge gratitude as well to all volunteers, retail location staff, and Cracker purchasers in the Comox Valley and beyond for making this fundraiser a huge success again this year!
Reminder to our gift certificate and grand prize winners to contact the YANA office at info@yanacomoxvalley.com or 250-871-0343 to make arrangements to pick up your prize. We can’t wait to meet and congratulate you!
YANA Christmas Crackers are on sale NOW!
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Published by the Comox Valley Record Nov 16, 2021
It was many years ago that YANA’s founder, Sandra Williams, gathered with friends around her own kitchen table to craft the first Christmas Crackers, all in efforts to raise money for the Comox Valley’s grassroots organization. The tradition has carried on today thanks to the many hands that contribute to pulling off a made-from-scratch batch of 5000 Christmas Crackers each year. This year’s team of 19 talented volunteers has been led by Coordinator, Robbie Rusk, who has ensured the standard and quality that folks have known year after year.
Each crafter, whether veteran or newcomer, is given thorough instruction before diving into cracker making, along with completing a “tester 10” set of crackers that are checked and approved by YANA expert mentor crafters. Each crafter then receives a kit of supplies to make between 100 – 200 crackers, the equivalent of about 10-15 hours of full-on elf-mode cracker making.
“The care and artistry that our talented volunteers put into their crafting impress me beyond all belief”, shares Kelly Barnie, YANA’s Executive Director, who tells us the community has come to expect this fundraiser each year. “Even though we had to move away from our traditional group crafting last year, our dedicated volunteers pulled this fundraiser together to make sure our happy customers get their annual supply. Whether it’s for a special holiday dinner or as gifts for family, friends or coworkers, people sure get excited about these every year.”
Each cracker contains the usual trinkets and delights you’d expect to find, with 50 crackers containing a special prize. This year the grand prize is actually two prizes in one. Mark the Gold Guy has generously donated a gorgeous coordinating pair of diamond rings, appraised by Tim Haley at Simply Timeless at over $5,500. Thanks to an anonymous donor, 100% of the 2021 Christmas Cracker sales will go directly back into YANA’s funding and accommodation program, which provides support for about 400 medical trips each year for Comox Valley families.
YANA Christmas Crackers are on sale now for $3.00 each from one of 7 retail locations including Edible Island Whole Foods Market, Quality Foods Courtenay, Tin Town Cafe, John’s Your Independent Grocer, Quality Foods Comox, Comox Community Centre, or Seeds Food Market. Crackers can also be purchased online for $3.25 each (including online processing fee) at https://shopyanacomoxvalley.square.site/. Shipping and bulk orders are also possible by contacting YANA 250-871-0343 or info@yanacomoxvalley.com.
At-home crafting of 2022 crackers will begin in January 2022. Anyone with a keen eye for detail, nimble crafting hands, and time available to help YANA is invited to reach out about helping make Christmas crackers for 2022. Please email: christmascrackers@yanacomoxcalley.com or complete the YANA Volunteer Form.
New-to-Town Family Gets a Warm, Comox Valley Welcome
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2020 was the year of uncharted territory for Nicole Vogelzang and Chris Wilson, who, in the middle of a global pandemic, packed up their life and flew across the country all while expecting their first child, anxiously excited to settle into their new home in the Comox Valley.
Along with a massive move during a turbulent time in the world, the couple was also faced with some news about their unborn son, Linden. At 26 weeks it was discovered Linden had a cleft lip, as well as some other concerning red flags and presented potential complications after he was born. At a minimum, Linden would require surgery sometime after birth, and it was uncertain where this would take place and what it would all look like for the new parents.
“We didn’t know if we were going to have to fly back to Toronto. Being our first child too, we just didn’t know what to expect. We knew that it was going to be a big challenge to have everything sorted out”, Chris explains.
It was eventually determined that the surgery would take place at BC Children’s Hospital, and through a connection at a local baby group, Nicole was pointed toward YANA to inquire about support for their trip.
“Because of the pandemic I didn’t have a baby shower or anything like that, so we were going to ask for support from our families to take our trip out to Vancouver”, Nicole says. “After I spoke to YANA they just really put me at ease and let me know we’d have help with accommodations, with food, our transportation. I just didn’t have to worry about that anymore. It was a huge relief for us.”
Many Comox Valley families have grown up around the YANA name; the organization celebrated their 35th anniversary this year. But for newcomers like Nicole and Chris, YANA is an exceptionally unique service that reflects the generosity of this special community and other local organizations alike.
“I didn’t know anyone coming here”, Nicole explains. “I’ll ask a question and a bunch of people will sort of come together and try to figure out how I can solve a problem. I just feel well supported even when I don’t know anyone here.”
Word of mouth is the way that most families first hear about YANA, Executive Director Kelly Barnie tells us, pointing out that there is always work to be done to make sure that all families know what support is available through the organization, or that support even exists.
“Many families are connecting with us for the first time because a family member, friend, a care provider or somebody else in their close circle referred them to YANA”, says Kelly. “We know there are still a lot of families that don’t know about YANA or perhaps don’t think they would be eligible for support, and we’re working to change that. It’s the community that rallies together to make YANA’s programs possible, and it’s the community that we’re counting on to continue to share about the help we are able to provide”.
For Nicole, Chris and Linden, the support they received was an unexpected and warm welcome from their new community in a time that it was needed most.
“Here, it’s almost overwhelming how much people care about each other”, says Chris.
Nicole agreed that they were caught by surprise at the generosity of so many.
“It was very, very shocking. It was a pinch-me sort of thing”, says Nicole. “There’s a lot of hands and people helping, which is amazing.”
YANA’s funding and accommodation program is available to all Comox Valley families who are required to leave the community to receive medical care for a child under 19 or a pregnant mother. To find out more about YANA, visit www.yanacomoxvalley.com or email info@yanacomoxvalley.com.