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Brooks Davis
Brooks is a fun loving, independent, 2-year-old boy from Souris. About a day after he was born in the Brandon hospital the nurses noticed he was experiencing seizures. This led to an MRI being taken where they discovered the presence of a brain bleed. He was quickly flown to Winnipeg to be monitored in the NICU at Health Sciences Center. He spent four weeks there while undergoing many different tests and diagnosis’s to determine the cause of the brain bleed and what the implications may be for his future.
After spending close to two months in Winnipeg, Brooks was welcomed home by his five year old brother Nolan. Testing continued for months until Nov of 2024 when Brooks was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy Spastic Quadriplegic, Epilepsy and Hip Dysplasia. These conditions affect his ability to move, maintain balance and his muscle tone. The symptoms of these conditions are controlled by multiple daily medications.
Brooks goes to daycare in Brandon at the YMCA. This is one of his favourite places to be, as he gets to play with the many friends he’s made and benefit from the care of the wonderful staff. He loves to use his walker and his stander, two tools that have been crafted to help him with his development.
Many people have banded together to help Brooks succeed. He attends weekly sessions between Brandon and Souris for physiotherapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy.
This summer Brooks will attend the Canadian Centre for Development in Calgary for intensive therapy, a service that isn’t offered here in Manitoba. In the fall, Brooks will attend a 1-week session with SMILE therapy for kids. He’s never afraid to work hard during these sessions and does so with a smile on his face. We’re very proud of his positive attitude towards his various forms of therapy.
Thank you Little Valley Jamboree!
John Jacob Bernardo
John Jacob Bernardo was born on October 18th. A beautiful, healthy baby boy, despite the complications we faced during pregnancy. Now eight years old, Jacob is in Grade 1 at Hazel M. Kellington School in Neepawa, Manitoba.
When Jacob was around four years old, we began to notice that, unlike other children his age, he still wasn’t able to communicate using words. We tried several speech therapy sessions, hoping they would help, and it was during this time that someone recommended a psychological evaluation.
At five, Jacob was diagnosed with autism. Hearing those words brought a mix of emotions, relief in having answers, but also a deep uncertainty about what lay ahead.
Though Jacob is non-verbal for now, that hasn’t stopped him from finding his own unique ways to connect with us. He’s incredibly intuitive. When he wants something, he’ll take our hand and lead us to it, especially if it’s one of his favorite snacks.
Jacob is a joyful, curious child who finds so much happiness in exploring the world around him. He especially loves being outside, where he can run, play, and take in every little detail of nature. Water is one of his greatest joys whether he’s splashing near a stream or swimming at the local pool, his smile says it all.
Although Jacob can’t read out loud just yet, his love for books is undeniable. He’s endlessly fascinated by animals, plants, and all the wonders of the world, and he often brings us a book, asking us, without words — to sit with him and read. Those moments are pure magic. And while we read to him now, we hold onto the hope that one day, Jacob will read those stories back to us.
Jacob is loved by his whole family. We are very happy and honoured to have Jacob as one of the recipients of this year’s Jamboree.
Odin Hebert
Odin is a 6 year old boy from Brandon who has always been full of surprises. His journey began when he entered this world 10 weeks early, spending 6 weeks in the NICU before finally coming home just days before his first Christmas.
As Odin is our third child, we noticed early on that he wasn't meeting the same milestones as his older brothers. After numerous visits to the doctors and specialists, Odin was diagnosed with a rare form of epilepsy called Infantile Spasms, just before his 7 month mark. This diagnosis was followed by several others, including Cerebral Palsy, CVI, and Global Development delay. These conditions impact his vision, muscle tone, mobility, speech, and the ability to eat by mouth.
Despite these challenges, Odin is the happiest dude you will ever meet. He absolutely loves music, dancing, and school. At school, he cruises around in his walker, flashing the biggest smiles as he goes.
At least twice a year, we take Odin to SMILE Therapy for Kids in Burlington, Ontario for two weeks of intensive therapy that is not available in Manitoba. During these sessions, Odin makes incredible progress and is always so proud of the hard work he puts in.
Odin has two older brothers, Kade and Zander, who make him smile and who he loves dearly.