02/20/2026
Meet Charlie!
"Charlie was born in October 2020 with critical aortic stenosis and mixed mitral valve disease. At only 24 hours old, he was rushed from Richmond Hospital to BC Children's when the pulse oximetry screening showed something was not right.
In those early days, doctors tried everything they could, including medication and catheterization in the hopes that he could get bigger and that it would open up some options but his tiny body just couldn’t keep going. At 42 days old, he was put back on life support.
Our local surgeon at the time didn’t feel confident that a positive outcome was possible, so Charlie was placed on an air ambulance and flown to SickKids in Toronto; our last and best hope.
What followed were three long months in the Cardiac Critical Care Unit during the height of the pandemic. Charlie endured nearly every complication imaginable including
NEC, chylothorax, a paralyzed diaphragm, varicella exposure and ectopic atrial tachycardia. He underwent two open-heart surgeries, and then slowly, incredibly, he began to turn a corner. He came off the ventilator. He started to gain weight. He started to show us just how strong he was.
Because transport teams were in short supply during COVID, we didn’t know when we’d be allowed to fly home. When the call finally came, we decided not to tell his dad. Instead we surprised him, bringing Charlie home against all odds to a warm welcome from our amazing team at BCCH.
Charlie’s journey didn’t end there. Since then, he has faced three more open-heart surgeries spending over 20 hours in the OR and now lives with a mechanical valve. His scars tell a story of survival. His strength tells a story of hope and the miracle of medicine.
Today, Charlie is in kindergarten and thriving. He has always been the happiest kid in the room, as if he knows just how precious life truly is. He is an example of rising above pain and struggle. When we go to the hospital, Charlie is excited and brave, even when things are scary. In the middle of the night in emergency rooms, he shows gratitude and patience far beyond his years.
Charlie teaches us every single day that the odds do not define us, and that life, no matter how fragile, was meant to be lived. We are eternally grateful to everyone who has taken care of Charles in his amazing 5 years but especially to his cardiologist Dr Harris who has supported and advocated for Charlie and our whole family. There's no doubt why he's Charlie's hero. " - Charlie's mom
