Gemma Wilde's Recovery Fund

On Wednesday, April 5th, 2023, Jess and Stephen Nadeau’s 16-month-old daughter, Gemma, fell and hit her head. Five minutes later, she lost the ability to move her right arm and leg and was unable to speak. Jess and Stephen called an ambulance and Gemma was brought to Kelowna General Hospital where she had several investigations done. An MRI of her brain showed that she had suffered a stroke affecting her left basal ganglia, extending into the white matter. It was also found that she has pre-existing calcification, which, following minor head trauma, caused the stroke to occur. Gemma was flown by air ambulance to BC Children’s Hospital on April 7th, where her recovery is being supported by a large team of specialists and, of course, her amazing parents, extended family and close friends.

Gemma is currently experiencing weakness and loss of function in her right arm and leg, right-sided facial droop, and is requiring a modified diet because of difficulty swallowing thin fluids and certain food textures. She was also having difficulty speaking, but this is starting to improve. What happened to Gemma is extremely rare and so her healing trajectory is largely unknown but, based on previously documented cases, her neurologist is hopeful for a good recovery.

Anyone who knows Jess and Stephen knows that they are the first people to help when someone is in any kind of need. They have let us know that financial support would be the most practical and beneficial way to help them at this time. Jess and Stephen have been given a rough estimate for how long Gemma will need to be in the hospital, but the rehabilitation she will need following her discharge is largely unknown. This means that Jess, a Registered Nurse, will likely be unable to return to work for an extended period while Gemma recovers.

All proceeds donated to this fund will be used to cover the daunting cost of lost income, the expenses that come with living away from home, travel for follow-up care, as well as the cost of future therapies and assistive devices that Gemma may require once she is no longer in hospital. We hope that this fund will help alleviate some of the financial burdens for Jess and Stephen so that they can simply focus on being present and caring for their beautiful Gemma.

Please donate or share if you can.