Page 20, Whltby Free Presa, Wedinesday, Fobruasy 2, 1994 Research leads t mrale such as Jessica Godman FIVE-YEAR-OLD Jessica Gociman, who has had 'several operations to correct cardiac deteCts, behaves like anly other chid her age. She wil soon have more surgery, possibly a heart-lung transplant. ,WlbFrePs By Mlartlia Goimain -Jessica Godman, 5, is living proof that miracles do bappen. Sho looks, sounds and behaves like any other child her age, and anyono who knows her, marvels à thon tenacity It's a miracle Jessica is even alive; but she wouldn't ho here today te f11l our hoarts with joy if it wasn't for the hard work of many dodicated professionals. When ple seo our daugbtor in photographs, they comment on how much oder sbe looks than ber five years. I tbink it's because duing sucb a short time in this world, she bas already endured a lifetime's worth of pain. Jessica was boîn after an unevontful pregnancy and almost painless labour.. She lookod so beautiful and contonted, but sometbinq was wrong -- witbin 30 minutes of ber birth, sho wai oxpeniencîng breathing difficulties and ber colour turned'fromn pale groy to dar blue. By the time the pediatnician-on-caîl examinod lber and requested the asssistanco of a cardiologist, ber condition bad deteiorated even furtber. Unless doctens could get bier symptoms under control, she would die. Within a few bours, Jessica was transported te the neonatal intensive cane unit at the Hospital for SickChildren, wbero she nemained until doctors could determino the extent of bier cardiac problems - a plethora of defeets existed. M y husband and I wero confronted by the team of pbysicians wbo bad ben assessing Jessica's condition for several bours, and the news we receîvedr was anything but promising. Althougb ber prognosis was not very brigbt, we agreed witb the doctors that surgory sbould b. attempted in bopes te prolong ber life, even if for a short time. Tho first heant surgeny was performed when Jessica was only onýe day old, and the second, at six days old. She spent several weelcs in intensive cane struggling te sty alivo wbile other children witb less complicated heart aiilments died alI around ber. It was a painful period in our lives. We kept a bedside vigil, woek after week, witnessing our cbild's suffier'i. And thon one day, when almost everyone expected the inevitable, Jessica's condition began te improve. Once again aaefive montbs Jessica underwent yet another difficult open-Iieart operation, and altbough ber recovery was slow in the firet few weeks, she was finally able te come home and live a somewbat normal life. Now, almost five years later and witb numerous other, lesa invasive but neventheles isky procedures, sho can play, attend school and enjoy berseif -- for now. In the notk-so-distant future, Jessica will need more surgery -- perbaps evon a beart-lung transplant, and this is an area where research will play an important noie. Heart disease and other related ilînosses dlaim the lives of 75000 Canadians oach year, xnany of whom are young children. Altbcugh the mortality rates bave decreased by 50 per cent in the past four decades, it is estimated that the number of deaths will be on the riso in the next 20 yoars due te the aging and increasing population. One per cent of ai c hidren born in Canada toay w1l avo some type of heart defect and, without continuing research in this area, many will die. February is Heart Montb. In the coming weeks hand-working ,%ounteer canvassers will bo knocking on doors funclraising for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario. Do your part to belp figbt beart disease. Please, give generously. There are many Jessicas out there wbo are counitinq on your support. Martba Godman ïs chair of communications for the W'itby chapter of the Heart mnd Stroke Foun da tion. Choral festival isupcoimng The Royal Canadian College of OrganisW (Oshawa and District Centre) will present the eighth annual Chôral Festival on SUnday, Feb. 6, 7:30 p.m., at College Park Seventh-Day Adventist Church, 1164 King St. E., Oshawa. - Parkwoo campaign exceeds target The 1992/93 caznpaign to e >ac Parkwood Estate and Gardona in Oshawa raîsed more fhan $160,000. That amount exceeded the goal of $150,000, also the targe figure of Parkwood's 1993-94 Prceeds from the 1992-93 campaign were used to carry out maniy repair and maintenance projects throughout the mansion and gardens. The boiler heating system was replaced, the roof was fixed, chandeliers and highting were restored, there was some resto- ration of the Aelian organ, 20,000 tulip bulbs were planted, the carniage bouse was painted and some reupholstering took place. Funds raised from the newest campaign will be directod toward majo rparste the main electri- clservice in the mansion and restoration of the elaborate trel- lis work in the Italian gardons. Resorts rams funds for heart Fundraising efforts on behaif of the Heart and Stroke Founda- tion will be held at area rosorts in February. Pleasuro Valley north on Brock Road, and bJaqar ski Resort, north on Lakonidge Road ~Du rhamn Road 23), will donate 91fromn eacb cross country trail pass they seil Feb. 12 andl3 te the foundation. Baffle of the BadgesQ underway A campaign has been organ- ized by police officers fromn Dur- haxn Region and Metro Toronto, n *onunction with the Weight Watchers at Work prorai, te support the Sunshine Founda- tion of Canada. 'Battle of the Badges' will com- bine At Work registration fees wyith _pledjges, t e donated te Whitby. The winners will be treated to a ýnight on the town' as they are picked up oy limousine (from Lînîo Lads) and taken for a meai at Fazio'<; Itahian restaurant in Oshawa and then te a movie of their choice at Famous Players Theatre.