Hi, we're Holly and Bart. We are expecting a baby boy in November, and as we prepare to welcome our little one, we are reminded of the values we hope to pass on — kindness, compassion, and the joy that comes from giving, along with the power of community coming together in support of a common cause!

Instead of a traditional baby registry, we feel deeply honored to use this special moment to help someone dear to us. Our sweet niece Ayla continues to face significant medical challenges, and your generosity can make a difference in her journey and future.

To honor this spirit of giving, we will personally match your generous contributions, up to a total of $3,600.

Together, we can show our child the beauty of love in action.

A little bit about our lovely niece Ayla:

Ayla is the niece of Holly and Bart, through Holly’s cousin, Michelle. She and her husband, Vince, are the proud parents to her and their dog Mikka.

In April of 2024, Michelle and Vince noticed clusters of twitching movements in Ayla. What they initially thought to be the newborn startle reflex turned out to be much more severe. After a trip to children’s emergency and speaking with a paediatric neurologist, Ayla was diagnosed with a severe and rare form of epilepsy, known as Infantile Spasms (IS). This condition occurs in 1 out of every 2000-4000 infants, and if untreated can come with lifelong challenges.

In the last year, Ayla has gone through numerous rounds of medications, doctor’s appointments, EEGs, and MRIs; and has met every type of specialist available. In June of 2025, her parents made the decision to uproot their entire lives and move to Ontario, where Ayla is on a waitlist at Sick Kids Hospital.

Ayla is currently 18 months old. While she has been free of big seizures for nearly nine months with the help of her medications, she does still experience spasms and smaller seizures on a regular basis. As a result, she has also been diagnosed with Early Infantile Epileptic Encephalopathy, and Global Developmental Delay.

Vince and Michelle have done everything in their control to make sure Ayla has as normal a childhood as possible; taking her for monthly visits with a Physiotherapist and Occupational Therapist when they lived in Manitoba. Ayla is also on a waitlist at a local children’s rehabilitation centre, where she’ll receive the same services she did back home, as well the help of a Speech Language Pathologist. We remain optimistic for Ayla’s future with the resources we have available.

We are grateful for any contribution towards Ayla’s future. All funds raised will impact her life in the most positive way; whether that is through medication, assistive equipment (standers, walkers, wheelchairs, etc.), and hospital visits – we appreciate any amount.

Most importantly, we hope to raise even a small amount of awareness for epilepsy; a condition that we wouldn’t wish on any parent.