Sick does not mean weak: children in the hospital show what courage is

Wrapped in a white hospital sheet, seven-year-old Hartley Bernier proudly walks down the corridor of the children's hospital. Relatives and hospital staff lined the walls, supporting their hero aloud and holding out their palms to give him a high five. It's like he's a first—class athlete and a superstar. All this is happening on the set of an advertising campaign of the SickKids Foundation charity, which supports children's hospitals.

The advertising campaign started last Saturday. Within its framework, three videos and several dozen different posters have been launched, which will be hung all over Toronto. The bottom line is simple: the hospital is fighting such rivals as kidney failure, cystic fibrosis, cancer and heart disease, and the children themselves are brave warriors.

Social advertising turned out to be very emotional. At SickKids Hospital, more than 80% of cancer patients survive, about 98.5% of heart operations are successful, and mortality from liver failure as a result of gastrointestinal diseases, like Hartley's, has decreased from 22% in 2000 to less than 1%. Such figures can only be envied, as well as the courage of sick children who fight for their lives every day.

(Total of 9 photos)

Source: The Star

Hartley Bernier, one of the heroes of the advertising campaign.

Hartley has Hirschsprung's disease, or congenital agangliosis of the colon.

Six-year-old Peyton Calder, who had a heart transplant in May, brought a necklace of courage beads to the shoot. Although the beads were not included in the final version for the campaign, in this frame the bright personality of the girl catches the eye.

Four-year-old Jaydon Parent, adopted from Vietnam at the end of 2014 with a congenital heart defect, made the whole film crew laugh to the point of colic, making the most serious face and wearing torn jeans, glasses and a cap. Tough guy!

Eight-year-old Grace Turnbull was adopted from China in 2010 with brittle bone syndrome. Because of the disease, the girl's skeleton is very fragile. According to her mom, she can break a femur and not even cry like a real little hero.

Six-year-old Malachi Ker-Whent struggled to portray a tiger on the set. "One day I want to become a real knight," the boy said after filming.

Seven-year-old Marlowe Plofman put on a Batman costume. She goes to Toronto for treatment with her parents for two hundred kilometers.

15-year-old Marcus Augusto suffers from carcinoma, but plays hockey and would like to play sledge hockey at the Paralympic Games one day. He was inspired by the performance of the Canadian Paralympic team, after which the guy had plans for a sports career.

Dr. Rulan Parekh, a nephrologist and a member of the hospital's research team, was amazed at how many different characters were involved in the advertising campaign. She herself has Indian and South Asian roots. "I want the people of Toronto to see their reflection," she said.

One of the videos showing the essence of the action: