“Every donation to Enfant Soleil helps provide devices that give babies in a hurry the chance to live and, above all, to have a normal life,” say Alek's parents.
A premature birth fraught with complications
In November 2020, after only 27 weeks of pregnancy, Annie-Claude began bleeding and then her water broke. Her partner Jonathan rushed her to the hospital in Rivière-du-Loup. Concern for both mother and baby quickly grew. The risk of infection prompted doctors to transfer Annie-Claude to the Centre mère-enfant Soleil (CMES) at CHU de Québec, to ensure the survival of their premature son. Upon their arrival, the medical team carefully coordinated the baby’s delivery, and Alek was born weighing just 1,310 grams. “The adapted equipment funded by Enfant Soleil helped save Alek's life. We didn't have access to that in our area,” says the mother.
Health challenges and an inspiring tenacity
Alek's first weeks of life were difficult. Born very premature, he had to overcome many obstacles, requiring placing an intravenous catheter, a feeding tube, and treating him for an unknown infection. Despite these difficulties, Alek showed incredible resilience. He breathed on his own or with the help of a ventilator, without needing an artificial respirator. Under constant medical supervision, he battled episodes of bradycardia and underwent weekly lumbar punctures, blood tests, and X-rays. In the midst of the pandemic, his parents faced these ordeals far from home and on their own, due to the strict public health measures in effect.
A bright future thanks to the love and care received
Demonstrating great tenacity, Alek gained strength and made steady progress, giving his parents renewed hope with each small victory. After 12 weeks in the hospital, he was finally able to come home and start a new life.
Now three years old, Alek has only one known after-effect of his prematurity: asthma. He uses his inhalers daily, and even a slight cold can affect his lungs. Although he has faced great challenges from birth, Alek is a go-getter known for his zest for life and passion for motor vehicles!
To ensure his overall development, Alek will have to see various specialists (physiotherapist, occupational therapist, pneumologist and urologist) every year until he turns five, in addition to being closely monitored by his pediatrician at the hospital in Rivière-du-Loup and his ENT specialist at the hospital in Montmagny.
His parents, Annie-Claude and Jonathan are infinitely grateful to the medical teams and equipment that enabled their son to survive and thrive. “Without this care and equipment, we wouldn't have our little Alek with us today, we wouldn't be parents.”
– Annie-Claude Briand and Jonathan Plourde
Little Alek's perseverance
Thanks to the love and good care he received, Alek's parents are able to tell us his story, one of great determination.
