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OkillLiving LIVING EDITOR: ANGELA BLACKBURN Phone: 905-337-5560 Fax: 905-337-5571 e-mail: ablackburn@oakvillebeaver.com Sweethearts for SickKids Luke's LegacyBy Angela BlackburnLast year the event raised more than $15,600 between cookie sales andOAKVILLE BEAVER STAFFdonations. The heart-shaped cookies will be decorated in support of theHe was a blue-eyed angel born just ahead of Valentines Day.Hospital for Sick Children, Cardiac Critical Care Unit in memoryHe died just after Christmas not quite two years later.of Luke Holmes. Luke Holmes' family is determined to ensure Luke hasAll of the money raised goes to SickKids Foundation foran impression for generations to come. the Cardiac Critical Care Unit where Luke spent much of his short life which sparked a relationship betweenThough his life was just 22 months long, Luke's his medical caregivers and his parents that will last aparents, Carolyn and Troy and brothers Zakary, 8, lifetime.Max, 7 and Jackson, 18 months know he was aMy persistent recollection of the Holmes familylittle fighter who at first grasped onto, and thenis one of smiles. The emotions behind thosehung onto, life even when he wasnt expected to.smiles may have varied from true happiness atNow, several years later, his family has not our successes, to a more final gratitude that weforgotten the tiny angel and is determined tohad done everything possible for Luke, but theyput Luke Holmes name on the cardiac care were genuine, generous smiles that helpedunit of Torontos Hospital for Sick Children.everyone who took care of the Holmes fami-So, the third annual Sweethearts forly, said Dr. Joel A. Kirsh, a staff physicianSickKids, Lukes Legacy will be held at Wholewith the Sick Childrens hospitals cardiolo-Foods Market, Oakville on Sunday, Feb. 13.gy and critical care unit.Luke was a patient of Sick Kids from the Kirsch will join hundreds of others thetime he was two days old. The entire staff of day before Valentines Day to remember theSick Kids Hospital treated Luke and our blue-eyed angel born during Heart Month.family with respect, compassion and profes-SickKids has a long track record of sionalism. Luke, in turn, showed amazing recognizing its friends and donors whenstrength, courage and determination dur-philanthropic gifts are made to support ouring his fight. Without the support of Sick work. With time and the support of theirKids, Luke's many doctors, nurses and spe-friends, family and community, I look for-cialists, we would not have had the 22 ward to helping Carolyn and Troy cut themonths with him that we did. We are for-ribbon, said Kirsch.ever grateful for the care that he received.For more on Luke and the fundraiser, orWe believe in SickKids, said Lukes mom,to donate, visit www.lukeslegacy.ca.Carolyn.This years edition of the event has sup-Lukes mom has set a personal goal to get port from businesses such as Kafene, Justthe Cardiac Critical Care unit named after Add Heat and two Turtle Jacks locations inLuke. Mississauga 980 Southdown Road and 6610It will take years of fundraising and she is Meadowvale Town Centre are also donating adreaming big, but its her way to thank the unitportion of their February profits to the SickKidsand to ensure Luke has an impression for genera-Foundation in honour of Luke. tions to come.Luke's Legacy is a registered fundraiser for TheIt is Carolyns hope that her sons struggle, his Hospital for Sick Children, Cardiac Critical Carebravery and his striking baby blue eyes will never be Unit. forgotten.***********Members of the public are invited to join Lukes friends,Luke's story is on his fundraiser's website... Luke wasfamily and doctors Sunday to remember the small angel andborn Feb. 7, 2006. He spent 16 weeks fighting for his life anddecorate heart-shaped Tickle Your Tummy cookies for Valentines medical teams at Sick Childrens hospital saved his life twice.Day, for fun and for a good cause.After 22 months, Luke succumbed to congenital heart diseaseMembers of the public are invited to remember Luke with thison Dec. 28, 2007.celebration of his life with a fun, sticky and sweet activity, said Lisa This fundraiser, in its first year, sold 350 cookies and raisedRollin, a Holmes family friend.$5,000. Last year more than 500 cookies were sold and more thanLOVE IS STRONG:The late Luke HolmesThe event begins at 11 a.m. at the market located at 301 Cornwall $15,000 raised earning Lukes Legacy a spot on the Supporterspictured here with his mom, Carolyn.Rd., upstairs in the Community Room, and will run until 4 p.m. Wall at the Hospital for Sick Children.unless it runs out of cookies first.This year there are 750 cookies and organizers hope to raiseThis year a couple of new twists have been added, according to $20,000.Rollin.Last year, Lukes mom told The Oakville Beaver that its an eventMayor Rob Burton is expected to drop in and some local celebrities have decorated an at which the hugs of strangers help fill the void left by the loss of a very special boy.oversized cookie to be auctioned off. True to her goal of putting Lukes name on the cardiac care unit, Carolyn told The BeaverTo date, Susan Hay from Global Television and Roger, Darren and Marilyn from CHUM she can envision Lukes brothers unveiling the nameplate.FM Radio have decorated a cookie for our event, said Rollin.Lukes name is already a fixture at the hospital where a plaque was erected after grievingA suggested donation for each cookie to decorate is $5 and there will be cookie decorating family and friends donated more than $30,000 in his honour, following his death.packages to go, too.See Luke page 23www.insideHALTON.com OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, February 11, 2011 22