MONTREAL, May 16, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - The Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation is thrilled to team up with Erik Guay, the most decorated Canadian alpine World Cup racer of all time, and one of the world's hottest and fastest growing extreme obstacle courses, The Spartan Race, to raise money for The Children's Trauma Program.
"I'm very excited to support all the Spartan racers who are running this obstacle course to benefit the trauma program at the Montreal Children's Hospital," Erik Guay explains. "As an elite athlete, I know how challenging the road to recovery can be after an injury. The MCH Trauma Program not only helps patients but is a leader in promoting trauma prevention so these injuries don't occur in the first place."
Prior to joining the Canadian Olympic team at Sochi, Guay made history this season when he broke Crazy Canuck Steve Podborski's Canadian record for World Cup podiums. He currently has 22 after winning the downhill in Kvitfjell, Norway. The Spartan races take place in Guay's hometown of Mont Tremblant on May 24-25. At 2:45 p.m. on each day, 100 participants can run, jump and climb for The Children's in the Spartan Sprint, a 5-kilometer heat. Places are still available and registration is free for participants who commit to raising a minimum of $500 for the hospital. Participants may register at spartanforthechildrens.com.
The leading cause of preventable death
Trauma is the leading cause of preventable death among children and adolescents in North America. At the Montreal Children's Hospital, over 14,000 children and teens are seen in the Emergency Department each year for traumatic injuries.
One of those children is Laura Rea, who crashed into a tree while downhill skiing on Christmas Eve in 2009. The athletic ten-year-old was discovered unconscious by her father and was rushed to the Montreal Children's Hospital where a team of trauma specialists were waiting for her. Her injuries were so extensive that she was placed in an induced coma. Doctors saved her life but it took eighteen months, eight operations and daily intensive physical-therapy sessions, to bring Laura from a wheel chair to crutches and to running and jumping.
"After I woke up from my coma every doctor I spoke with was so encouraging," says Laura. "They always had a positive attitude and always made everything seem like it would be easy and okay."
Now 14, Laura was left diabetic as a result of her accident but will be running the Spartan Sprint on behalf of all the patients at The Children's who cannot participate.
MCH Trauma program
At the MCH, over 30 departments and services are involved in trauma care. The hospital is a provincially designated pediatric and adolescent trauma centre and a neurotrauma centre of expertise. The Trauma Program has the staff and equipment to provide the highest level of pediatric injury care. The program encompasses a Neurotrauma program, Burn Trauma program, Concussion/Mild Traumatic Brain injury (MTBI) and Return to Sports program and the Trauma Research Section.
The Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation:
The Montreal Children's Hospital of the MUHC is the pediatric teaching hospital of the McGill University Faculty of Medicine. The Children's is a leader in providing a broad spectrum of highly specialized care to newborns, children, and adolescents from all across Quebec. The Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation raises funds to help The Children's remain on the cutting edge of teaching, research and care. For more information, please visit childrenfoundation.com.
SOURCE: The Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation
For information or to arrange an interview with Erik Guay or Laura Rea: Kim Fraser, Senior Director of Communications, Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation, 514-934-1934 x 29267, [email protected]
Share this article