When she was just 8 years old, Ashley’s family received a call from her doctor on Good Friday that changed their life. The doctor told them that results from Ashley’s recent bloodwork showed she had Type 1 diabetes.
 
She was admitted to Brampton Civic Hospital and says while she enjoyed having access to her own television and a selection of movies to watch, she wanted very much to go home.
 
“I struggled with being in the hospital, mostly because I didn’t like the food,” she says. “But then when Easter came around a few days later I was upset because I couldn’t be at home. I was also upset because at this point I had been told I was only allowed to eat a certain amount of carbs meaning almost no chocolate.”
 
Today Ashley is 12 years old and doing well. But an act of kindness from one nurse that weekend has stuck with Ashley.
 
“The day before Easter, when the night nurse came in she gave me a coloring book and a bunny. That was very special to me,” says Ashley. It was especially meaningful when she realized the nurse went out of her way to get the gift. “The next day I bought an Easter bunny for my sister from the gift shop. They were not similar because the bunny the nurse gave me wasn’t found in the gift shop. It made my Easter.”
 
While Ashley and her family don’t know the name of the nurse who helped her face that difficult holiday, her act of kindness compelled her to want to give back to other children spending Easter in the hospital. In honour of this unknown Health Care Hero, the family recently provided Easter packages including a bunny and colouring book to the Paediatric Unit.
 
“I don’t know why she gave me the bunny but I’m very grateful she did,” says Ashley of the nurse. Her mom, Kimberly, echoes Ashley’s gratitude. “She was a young nurse who looked after her that night. I wish we knew who she was as she did something very kind.”