Girl needs kidney transplant

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A six-year old girl from Peepeekisis First Nations has a lot to show for her thrill of a lifetime.

Desirae Desnomie was one about 90 children who, with chaperoning parents, went on a one-day vacation to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, courtesy the Air Canada employees' charitable foundation.

The "Dreams Take Flight" organization provided everything for those taking the flight in mid-April, says Desirae's mother Bev, a teacher's assistant at Balcarres School. It was a welcome change from Desirae's routine, which started more than a year ago when she was stung by a bee.

"She had just turned five...she hadn't been sick before that," her mother said.

Little Desirae went into a toxic shock which resulted in the destruction of her kidneys. Both kidneys, which remove toxins and wastes in the blood of a healthy person, were removed in a February 1998 operation.

Desirae now undergoes dialysis at home 12 hours a day, in which a special machine does what her kidneys were supposed to do. Her mother has been specially trained to run the equipment.

In addition Desirae and her mother fly once every one or two months to Calgary for further medical treatment, "depending on how she's feeling and whether or not we are having any problems," said Bev.

Those flights were on Air Canada and that was how Desirae found out about the "Dreams Take Flight" program. It is sponsored by Air Canada employees who undertake fundraising activities who help pay for sick children.

The employees also had a little help from their friends.

"We got to fly on the plane the Raptors (Toronto Raptors of the NBA) fly on," said her mother. "They had televisions on the flights and we watched movies on them. The pilots and stewardesses treated us like royalty."

Bev and Desirae first flew to Winnipeg, and joined the rest of the children and parents on the one day trip to Disney World April 14.

The group spent one day at Disney World in Orlando, where the red carpet treatment continued. Thanks to a special arrangement with the Disney Corporation, those on the "Dreams Take Flight" arrangement received first chance in getting on the rides.

"The most we would wait would be about five minutes, maximum. We were there only 12 hours, and after that the kids get pretty tired."

The children on the trip came home with more than memories. In Desirea's case, she also came home with a special toy; a Winnie the Pooh "hunny pot" with stuffed dolls of Tigger the Tiger, Eyore the Donkey and other Disney characters from the children's fable.

Back at Peepeekisis, Desirae attends school with her mother, who works as a teacher's aide at Balcarres School. Desirae now hopes the next big trip is to the hospital for a kidney transplant. But that could be a long time, her mother says.

"We are trying to get on the list for a kidney transplant . . . but when you're on the list you don't expect a kidney for a year. That's how long the list is," said Bev.

"Not many people sign donor cards . . . if more people signed their driver's license (where donor cards are located) then people would be on the waiting list for a shorter time."