Eight-year-old Bradford Chiari-Warrior Mason Donkin is making his mark in the community once again with a new fundraising goal of $50K for Sick Kids Hospital in partnership with the Walk-for-Chiari Foundation.
For the past four years, Mason and his mother (Jennifer Donkin) have organized the ‘Walk-for-Chiari’ fundraiser, raising thousands of dollars for Sick Kids Foundation, creating awareness on the rare neurological disorder that Mason was born with.
Unfortunately, due to the ongoing Covid-pandemic the Donkins were unable to host their Walk for Chiari fundraiser for a second year in a row. This year Mason decided to launch an online fundraiser with a fundraising goal of $50K for Sick Kids. He hopes to raise the funds by his 9th birthday on April 30.
Mason has been the poster child and advocate for Chiari awareness for several years, appearing in commercials and on billboards for Sick Kids Hospital. He spent years being poked and prodded by several doctors and specialists trying to figure out what was ailing him until finally in 2015, he was diagnosed with Chiari Malformation (CM).
CM affects one in 1,000 people and is characterized by a lack of room in the skull to house the brain. As such, brain tissue is forced into the spinal canal causing severe headaches, dizziness, motor and hearing impairments, muscle weakness, and many other health related issues.
In Mason's case, many other symptoms stemmed from his diagnosis, including gastrointestinal and bladder issues. He was also diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder, Ehlers-Danlos; a disease that weakens the connective tissues in the body.
Mason’s mother Jennifer has organized a drive-by parade to celebrate Mason’s 9th birthday on May 1. Currently, Mason’s fundraiser has reached almost 50 percent of his target, just shy of $25K.
“With everything going on, he needs a little bit of a boost right now,” expresses Jennifer. “Hopefully, he will get to see some of his friends during the drive by [parade].”
Mason was recently diagnosed with neurogenic bladder and will be having surgery in the coming months for sacral neurostimulation to help with this condition.
“It’s like having a pace-maker for his bladder,” explains Jennifer, adding that these types of surgeries keep getting pushed back due to Covid.
“The surgery will be good for me, because it won’t cause anymore damage to my bladder,” said an optimistic Mason.
When Mason reaches his $50K goal, his name will go on a plaque as one of Sick Kids' supporters and will be hung in the lobby of the main floor of the hospital.
“If we reach this goal, we will continue to fundraise and advertise about Chiari,” said Jennifer. “He’s a kid with strong will and determination, an old soul who always finds the good in everything.”
The Donkins hope to raise enough funds to one day open the first Canadian Chiari Research Centre at Sick Kids Hospital.
To donate to Mason's fundraiser, vist here.
To learn more about Sick Kids Foundation or Walk for Chiari, visit here.
