Nurse and quilter team up to make G-Tube buttons for toddler
A small act of kindness from two Beaverlodge women have made a big impact on a family in the Horse Lake First Nation.
Beaverlodge based home care nurse, Jennifer Mickanuik, has been caring for three-year old Arizona for the past two years. Arizona has a rare congenial disorder, called CHARGE syndrome, which can cause extensive medical and physical difficulties, ranging from life-threatening birth defects, to vision loss, to problems breathing and swallowing.
Mickanuik says due to her condition, Arizona has trouble gaining weight, and had a G-Tube (gastrostomy tube) placed in her stomach, to ensure she gets the nutrition she needs.
However, one day, while doing a routine visit, Mickanuik found that the area around the G-Tube was becoming irritated and raw from friction. She discovered that a flannel button, meant to protect the area, had been lost.