A fundraiser for baby Ezzie.

Hi, my name is Andrew Chaulk, and this is my son Ezra.


Born on the 10th of February this year, he's now closing in on 4 months old and is full of smiles! However, while his mother Petra Chaffey -Johnson experienced a completely normal pregnancy, serious concerns about Ezra’s health were raised immediately after he came into this world. In the days following Ezra's birth, a number of potential issues, including Down syndrome,  were suggested though test results were still weeks away. While doctors could not provide us with a complete diagnosis before we were released, they were able to identify an issue with our little man's skull. He has a condition known as complex Craniosynostosis.

Craniosynostosis is a condition in which the bones in an infant’s skull prematurely fuse together (normally this occurs much later in life). Usually this condition is simple, with only one or two sutures involved and can be fixed with a surgery known as a craniotomy. However our son's case, as we later found out, is not so simple. Ezzie has a number of sutures in his skull and face either partially or completely fused. In such a complex case, not only is the surgery much more involved, but also needs to be performed early so the brain can develop properly. For these reasons,  the doctors at our local hospital in St. John's, Newfoundland, decided that our little man will travel to Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto for his procedure.

It goes without saying, as any parent knows, that we love our son more than anything in the world. We are very happy to know our baby snail will be cared for by the best our country has to offer. However this also places a huge financial burden on our new family. While Petra is still on maternity leave, I work as a graduate student and will need to take a significant amount of time off from my work and studies in order to travel with my family to Toronto. Also, since the surgery is complex, it may take multiple visits to Toronto, and recovery takes time. 


Ezra now has a complete diagnosis (an unbalanced translocation), and while it is difficult to know what the future will hold, we stand by our son and smile proudly along with him. While we wait for a final surgery date, we ask that you please find it in your heart to donate what you can, so our family can be together in this difficult time. Please remember, every little bit counts, and if nothing more, please keep our Ezzie in your thoughts.

Thank you with all our hearts, 

Andrew Chaulk, Petra Chaffey-Johnson, and our baby snail Ezra.