News
Connor & Megan Wells, a YANA Family Story
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Originally published by the Comox Valley Record – October 23, 2021
Andrea Postal, Client Services, YANA. Special to the Record
It was February of 2007, Michelle and Bob Wells were excitedly awaiting the arrival of their twins, Megan and Connor, who were expected to stay safe on the inside for a few more months.
It seemed the twins had other plans though, and at just 29 weeks pregnant Michelle went into pre-term labour and was flown from St. Joseph’s Hospital to a higher level of care at BC Women’s Hospital in Vancouver.
Bob recalled his first encounter with YANA as he prepared to follow behind his wife; a nurse had handed him an envelope with cash and a note from YANA, funding provided through YANA’s Emergency Hospital Funding program and designated for families who are unexpectedly sent out of the community to access medical care for a pregnant mother or a child.
“One of the nurses just handed me an envelope and I asked what it was for, she said it was $100 cash from YANA, and I remember saying, ‘we’re okay, we’re sort of relatively prepared, we have our overnight bag’, they said, ‘there’s no choice, you have to take the envelopes,’” said Bob, laughing at the memory and the kindness felt from his community in a time of such uncertainty.
“For us, that trip, being able to get some money from YANA that we didn’t ask for, I guess an analogy is, it’s kind of like a hug from your community. We didn’t know what was going on, certainly lots of anxiety, a lot of fear… you don’t know how things are going to turn out. To have that support was absolutely amazing. We kind of thought that would be the end of the story.”
The doctors were able to get Michelle’s labour under control and the couple returned home about a week later. Life was getting back to normal. And then, at 36 weeks, Michelle began to show signs of complications with the pregnancy. After being assessed at the hospital it was clear they would need to relocate again, this time to Victoria.
“We literally got in our car, drove to Victoria, and while we were doing that, at the same time, unbeknownst to us, YANA was working in the background to get us a place to stay,” said Bob.
YANA arranged for a place for the couple to stay at Easter Seals House and provided the family with funds to help cover some of the expenses of being away from home.
Bob and Michelle welcomed their twins into the world the day after arriving in Victoria. Connor was doing quite well but Megan was struggling with breathing and feeding complications as the result of a cleft palate. Despite that, both babies were expected to return home within a month.
After three weeks in the Victoria General Hospital NICU Connor was given the all-clear and it was hopeful that Megan would follow close behind. It was only a week later that the hospital gave the green light for Megan too, and Bob eagerly headed down-Island to bring his daughter and wife home, when he was pulled over by an unexpected phone call.
“Unfortunately one of Megan’s nurses mistakenly squeezed her bottle at the wrong time, and that ended up getting Megan with aspiration pneumonia. One of the side-effects was that she’d gone into cardiac arrest… all we knew at that point is that she wouldn’t be coming home that day,” said Wells, describing how the terrifying setback came with the uncertainty of the future, while Megan fought to regain the strength and health she needed to come home.
For the next three months, the couple would travel back and forth every few days sharing their time between the twins and living between their family home and their Easter Seal home that YANA continued to provide for them to stay in, in addition to their continued help with the living expenses.
After a long and uncertain four months and close to 40 trips back and forth, Megan was finally healthy enough to return home.
Over the years since their first encounter with YANA and the many follow-up trips that followed, it’s been important for the family to give back to YANA and to show their appreciation for the community’s support that made such a tremendous impact on their lives.
Bob, formerly the owner of My Tech Guys, has generously provided the organization with equipment and technology support for YANA’s internal operations and many of their annual fundraisers. Connor and Megan know intimately the story of how they came to be a YANA family and they’ve creatively given back over the years by selling hot dogs for YANA and hosting by-donation Star Wars movie nights. Connor, Megan and their younger brother Quinn also started a bottle collection company to give back to other local charities, and have collected almost 25,000 bottles since May of 2020.
“That support you get from the community, I can certainly say for myself, that’s really wanted to make me give back to the community even more,” said Bob. “At the end of the day, what YANA’s meant to us, I think, is really that embodiment of the best in our community, of people who are really there to support us, and not just support us, but allow the community to give that support back.”
Huge thank you to the realtors of Zone 2 Vancouver Island Real Estate Board, who chose to donate to YANA as their Charity of Choice. We are deeply grateful to these community-minded real estate agents for their continued support!
YANA is very grateful for our local Horseshoe Club, who raised funds for YANA at their recent Tournament. Thank you for your donation, we appreciate it!
The appropriately named Uplifters Shop has recently lifted YANA’s spirits WAY UP, with their generous donation. They have two promotions that benefit YANA: Every pair of Novelty PJ Bottoms sold, $1 goes to YANA as well as their specially curated Gift Boxes, where 20% of the value of each gift box purchased goes to YANA when customer specifies it. Thank you!
The Komox Masters Baseball League Players have all hit “home runs”, in YANA’s opinion! They generously donated funds to YANA and we are their biggest fans!
YANA is a big fan of Gratitude and right now, we’re feeling super thankful for Mudsharks Coffee Bar’s Grateful Bowl Program. Every month, $1 from each delicious bowl goes to a local charity and YANA was their latest recipient. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
We’d like to thank the Comox Lemon Squeezers – namely Kate, Everett, Bryn and Clara – for fundraising for YANA. Every year, they set up a Lemonade Stand on, appropriately, Lemonade Stand Day, and raise money for a BC Charity as well as the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation. Sweeeeeeeet!
On a hot day, is there anything better than ice-cold, homemade lemonade? Yes!!….When it’s being sold by an enterprising and thoughtful youth named Ronan, in support of YANA! You rock, Ronan!
Shayne & Tori Boelk, A YANA Family Story
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Originally published by the Comox Valley Record – Sept 18, 2021
Andrea Postal, Client Services, YANA. Special to the Record
Nobody plans for their child to get sick or for their lives to get turned upside down, but it happens to families right here in our community. This glimpse into reality comes from Shayne Boelk, father of Tori Boelk, whose journey has not been an easy one, or a short one, but it has been one that began with a glimmer of hope from YANA.
Tori’s journey with YANA dates all the way back to 2007 when Tori’s Mother was pregnant with twins and was admitted to St. Joseph’s hospital with labour complications that resulted in devastating news.
“The OB came over and wanted to have a chat with us and brought a chair with him, and when that happened, I knew we were in pretty big trouble,” said Shayne. “And then what he told us is that we lost her sister. And that’s when things go sideways.”
After discovering that Tori’s twin had passed, they worked to stave off the threat of preterm contractions to ensure that Tori could continue to safely grow in utero for as long as possible. It was in between the flurry of activity, right before Tori’s mother was air-lifted to Vancouver to be closer to more acute medical care, that a nurse stuffed an envelope into her hand containing money with a note from YANA. The couple was overwhelmed with the generosity from their community, but it wasn’t until much later in their journey that they would reach out to the organization for further support.
After arriving in Vancouver and looking more closely, Tori’s medical team discovered a congenital cardiac defect that would require open-heart surgery shortly after birth. The heart defect was the result of a microdeletion, DiGeorge syndrome, which would present myriad health complications and challenges after Tori was born. The couple stayed for the three months leading up to her birth and didn’t return home with her until after her first birthday.
“We were pretty overwhelmed and maxed out by the time we finally connected with YANA. Being away from home for a year, still paying all of those bills, and also carrying rent and living expenses in Vancouver was a lot,” Shayne said, commenting on how quickly it became apparent how unique YANA is to this community.
Many families receive hospital emergency funding, an envelope with $200 cash and a letter from YANA to connect for further support given to families who are required to emergency transfer for medical care from the Comox Valley Hospital. Presently, only about 40 per cent of recipients connect for further support, something that the organization is working to change in hopes that all families will benefit from the full depth of relief YANA can provide, something Shayne quickly discovered after making the connection to YANA.
“One of the things that’s almost universal, none of those parents plan for that stuff to happen. You don’t plan for life to get derailed, and it happens a lot… and all of a sudden there’s a YANA there.”
Tori is almost 14, she has a vibrant and infectious smile, and Shayne beams with pride as he speaks of her strength and resilience. Tori continues to make multiple trips to address many of the challenges she faces each day, and the family continues to be overwhelmed with gratitude for the support they receive from their community through YANA.
“I can not convey what an amazing program that YANA is. I have met many people at BCCH (BC Children’s Hospital), and when they ask where we are staying and I tell them about YANA, their jaws usually hit the floor,” says Shayne. “The fact that it is managed privately and is a product of the Comox Valley and the people who run it, is awe-inspiring. I can not think of a more worthy charity for people to get behind.”
YANA’s support is available to any Comox Valley family required to travel for the medical care of their child or a pregnant mother. YANA’s programs are made possible thanks to the enormous hearts of the generous people of this community, helping families know in some of their most difficult moments that You Are Not Alone.
Andrea Postal is a member of the client services team for YANA.
Our hearts are full thanks to a young entrepreneur who has been selling bouquets of flowers outside her home, with proceeds donated to YANA. Thank you for generously giving back to other children and families in this community so creatively!