Nothing can stop Campbell from rocking out!
Not everyone knows the indicators of a stroke, especially when they're looking at a toddler.
Fortunately for Campbell, his mother Lindsay knew something wasn’t right, when her son had a stroke at only 15 months. Today, the 16-year-old is a proud ambassador of Holland Bloorview who loves to jam out to Blink-182!
“People's first reaction is I didn't even know that could happen.”
Campbell's stroke occurred when he was just 15-months-old. His parents heard a sudden scream after they had put him to bed. "I looked at his face and noticed his eyes were fluttering, and his teeth were grinding, which was highly unusual," Lindsay explained. "My sister thought he was teething, so we tried to give him some Advil, but he choked and stopped breathing. We called 911."
Upon arriving an acute children’s hospital in Vancouver, an emergency CT scan revealed he had experienced a stroke and would need an immediate craniotomy. "At that moment, we were just in a state of shock. You have no idea what’s going on," Lindsay recounted.
While Campbell initially made a speedy recovery, following his surgery there were various complications. Only six month later Campbell began having seizures.
Initially, Campbell's seizures were mild twitches but quickly got worse. Thankfully, after lots of trial and error his Vancouver doctor a found a medication that worked.
Six months later, the family relocated to Toronto, primarily to be closer to their extended family, but also because they had heard about the exceptional resources available at Holland Bloorview. They chose a neighborhood near the hospital, which has played an integral role in their lives ever since.
“The school was absolutely phenomenal, it was hands down the best three years.”
Campbell began attending the Bloorview School Authority (BSA) when he turned four.
"At that point, he was quite the little devil," chuckled his mom.
Campbell joined in with a giggle. "I mean, I remember my meltdowns were caused by seizures. I tell my friends that I wasn't the best-behaved child..."
When Campbell's seizures returned in 2014, they were worse than before. His doctor at SickKids recommended a hemispherectomy, a surgery to treat epilepsy. The surgery would involve disconnecting the part of his brain affected by the stroke from the healthy part in order to control his seizures. Although it entailed significant risks, his parents were comforted knowing that Campbell would recover at Holland Bloorview.
“It was amazing. Before surgery they tell you all these things and you don’t know how it’s going to affect him. He woke up a completely different kid. His moods, behavior, personality, were all much calmer – but his sense of humor, that’s always been the same,” shared mom.
At the time of the surgery, Campbell was still a student at the BSA, which meant that even as an inpatient, he could continue attending his classes with his friends and teachers. The now teen made a special point of saying that the friendships he formed at the BSA and through Holland Bloorview hold a special place in his heart.
“A totally different kid”
"He woke up from surgery a totally different kid," Lindsay said. The doctor described it as silencing the constant noise that had long been blasting in Campbell's brain.
Since his surgery in 2014, Campbell has been a consistent participant in Holland Bloorview's programs and received a wide range of therapies. From physiotherapy to Spiral Garden, respite programs to music therapy, he’s become a real veteran of Holland Bloorview.
In the end, the stroke and the hemispherectomy impacted the growth on the left side of Campbell’s body, which resulted in a full hip reconstruction in 2020. During the procedure, his hamstrings were lengthened, and his right growth plate was completely removed.
As Campbell recovered at Holland Bloorview, he was surrounded by familiar faces, including former educational assistants from the BSA and one of his previous classmates who happened to be an inpatient at the same time.
Both Campbell and Lindsay feel so fortunate for the incredible sense of community they feel whenever they walk through the hospital doors. Even years after his inpatient stay, hospital staff greet Campbell when he visits for appointments and ask him what he’s been up to.
And his response? He's been rocking out with his favourite band.
"What's my age again?"
Now that Campbell is 16 years old, you can find him attending both nights of the Blink 182 concert—once with Holland Bloorview and then again simply to enjoy his favourite songs (like What’s my age again?) another time.
Blink 182 is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his exciting summer plans. Between an Ed Sheeran concert and his cottage, you can find Campbell making pizza, playing with his dog, and getting ready to be a leader-in-training at his summer camp.
Seizure-free since his surgery in 2014, Campbell and his family are immensely grateful for the unwavering support they receive from Holland Bloorview.
When the family initially moved to Toronto in search of personalized and comprehensive rehabilitative treatment, they truly did not anticipate the near-decade of continuous and full-hearted medical support that they found at Holland Bloorview.
Campbell is just one of many children living with the medical complexities that require specialized treatment following a stroke. Your support means everything to families like Campbell's, who rely on the wide variety of programs offered at Holland Bloorview.
