Sudbury family fundraising for SickKids through T-shirt campaign

A Sudbury family is raising funds for SickKids Hospital in Toronto for costly, specialized helmets their son had to wear after skull surgery.

A Sudbury family is hoping to raise important funds for SickKids Hospital in Toronto for specialized – and costly -- helmets that their son had to wear after skull surgery.

It’s been just more than a year since little Harvey received his surgery. He was diagnosed with Sagittal Craniosynostosis, which involves the premature fusion of the sagittal suture that runs along the top of the head.

It causes the skull to develop long and narrow and requires surgery and treatment to reshape the skull.

Harvey’s mom, Brittney Smith, said their family doctor diagnosed the condition.

“She was truly a champion for us,” Smith said.

“She’s the one that really pushed us to go see SickKids as quickly as possible. So our surgery date was Oct. 16, 2024, (when) Harvey was four and a half months old. He was pretty tiny.”

Time was a factor, she said, because the longer the wait, the more invasive the surgery. The three-hour procedure at SickKids was a success, but the family’s journey didn’t end there.

Months of hemlet therapy

“After that, we had to do 6 ½ months of helmet therapy,” Smith said.

“So that was a whole other level of travelling, and especially through a northern Ontario winter.”

The family drove from Sudbury to Toronto two to four times a month for fittings and adjustments. Each of the helmets costs $2,250 and are not covered by provincial funding. But thanks to donations, the family didn’t have to bear that cost.

“We were able to use the full Craniofacial (Program) funding through Sick Kids to support our helmet purchases,” Smith said.

Harvey needed three helmets during his treatment and they were able to get them through the program, which is funded by donations.

Now they want to help another family by covering the cost of at least one helmet through the Small Heads, Big Hearts T-shirt campaign.

“I’m a graphic designer, so I was able to design the shirt,” Smith said.

“We actually wanted it to be very whimsical and fun -- just like Harvey. He’s a very happy little guy ... We designed a little bunny riding on a motorcycle to kind of tell Harvey’s journey.”

The rabbit’s ears represent the bandages he had on his head, she added.

“Every little detail on the shirt was just supposed to be fun and northern Ontario-inspired,” Smith added.

There are three long-sleeved options available for purchase with 100 per cent of proceeds going to the program. More than 40 shirts have been ordered so far and she hopes to make the donation in the New Year.

Dr. Christopher Forrest is the medical director of the Pediatric Craniofacial Program at SickKids, said that about one in 2,000 babies are diagnosed with Craniosynostosis, or about 80-90 cases a year in Ontario and 180-200 across Canada.

The surgery involves removing a strip of bone to allow for the normal growth of the infant’s brain and skull.

“The success of this technique relies on using a helmet to help shape the head as the head grows afterwards,” Forrest said.

If infants don’t receive the surgery by the time they are four months old, they require a much more invasive surgery.

“I think one of the messages to all of the pediatricians and the family doctors that see hundreds and hundreds of children is if you can refer early and give these children an opportunity to have something done when they’re still fairly young, that’s a huge advantage,” he added.

“Unfortunately, sometimes we see the situation where the doctor says, ‘Oh, don’t worry, it’ll get better.’ And then it doesn’t and then they refer them. By then, it’s not too late to have surgery, but (it’s) a much bigger operation.”

To learn more about the fundraiser and Harvey’s story, click here.