Achi news desk-
Six-year-old Karter Bourgeault captured the hearts of NHL fans as he battled an aggressive form of brain cancer called diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG).
In the summer of 2023, three days shy of the anniversary of his diagnosis, Bourgeault took his last breath, with his parents by his side.
“There’s a huge void,” said Karter’s mother, Nicole Fraser. “It’s your baby.”
Bourgeault was a huge Edmonton Oilers fan, he even had a custom Connor McDavid mask that he would wear for his radiation treatments.
“I honestly believe, between the Oilers and the school, that’s what kept him fighting,” Fraser said.
The latest health and medical news is emailed to you every Sunday.
After saying goodbye, the family made the difficult decision to donate Bourgeault’s tissues, specifically his heart valves.
“He saved two little babies,” Fraser said. “You’re going to be cutting your child open and taking parts of your child, but you also know you’re saving the family from having to go through what you’re going through.”
April 21-27, 2024, is recognized as National Organ and Tissue Awareness Week.
“Not many people know about tissue donation,” said Dr. Graeme Dowling, medical director of the Comprehensive Tissue Center in Edmonton.
Dowling said the big difference between organ and tissue donation is that organ donations have to be transplanted immediately. Tissues, such as corneas, heart valves, skin and bone, can be processed and stored for up to five years.
Heart valves are in high demand and Dowling said most of the heart valves processed in Edmonton are for children and babies, and are not stored for long.
“Those are used in surgery for the very young… life-saving surgeries for those babies,” he said. “We process them and they’re literally out the door as soon as they’re ready to go.
“Those valves are precious and the gift is huge.”
Bourgeault’s family said that is exactly what their child would wish for his life.
“It’s very difficult, but some of them haven’t gone,” Fraser said. “Part of it is keeping someone else alive and knowing that is huge.”
& copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
