Latest news with #SickKids
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
25 Years of Hope for Pediatric Brain Tumour Research
Bunzl Canada's Annual Golf Event Donations Approach $2M in 2025 BURLINGTON, Ontario, July 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bunzl Canada recently hosted its 25th annual Ripple of Hope Golf Tournament in support of the Arthur & Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). On July 8th, Bunzl Canada, its vendor partners, and its customers again gathered at Greystone Golf Club in Milton, Ontario for the much-anticipated annual event. This year's theme was proudly Canadian, complete with enthusiastically worn red and white regalia and Canadian-themed menu choices. Participants enjoyed a day of golf as they fundraised and increased awareness for Toronto SickKids' advanced pediatric brain tumour research initiatives. This year's tournament marked a powerful milestone, not only in longevity but in impact. With the support of volunteers, employees, vendor partners, and customers across its business segments, Bunzl Canada has now raised over $1.93million since the tournament's inception. This year, tournament donations surpassed $135,000. Recognized as the world's largest centre dedicated to brain tumour research, under the leadership of Dr. James Rutka and his team, the centre at SickKids has pioneered transformative advancements in the treatment of childhood brain tumours. Among these is MRI-guided focused ultrasound, a pioneering technique that enables clinicians to bypass the blood-brain barrier and deliver therapy directly, in a less invasive manner, to aggressive brain tumours such as Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG). Since the last event, Dr. Rutka and his team have made important strides in better understanding pediatric brain tumours with the recognition that what was once thought to be a single disease, medulloblastoma, is actually four distinct subtypes. This discovery revolutionized the approach to treatment, as targeted therapy has been developed for each subtype. This advancement paves the way for more precise and effective treatments, offering renewed hope for patients and their families. 'One type of medulloblastoma requires a specific treatment which may include radiation therapy and chemotherapy, whereas another one may only require chemotherapy,' said Dr. Rutka. 'We also know that young children who get medulloblastoma usually are not eligible for radiation therapy, but the sub-classification tells us what chemotherapy drugs will be most effective depending on what subclass of medulloblastoma they have.' Watch Video: Ripple of Hope: 25 Years of Supporting Pediatric Brain Tumour Research 'Before 1950, there was no survival for a child with medulloblastoma. Essentially, it was a death sentence,' said Dr. Rutka. 'Gradually, the survival increased to approximately 70%. Since our discovery of four different types of medulloblastoma, we can now offer some children with different subclasses of blastoma 80 or 90% survival. We are now curing more children with medulloblastoma than ever before.' 'I've worked closely with Bunzl for 25 years,' said Dr. Rutka. 'It is a remarkable company to work with. It's absolutely incredible, and I want to thank them sincerely for everything they've done to support the charity golf tournament.' 'Reaching the 25th anniversary of the Ripple of Hope Golf Tournament is a meaningful moment for all of us at Bunzl Canada,' said John Howlett, Bunzl Canada's President. 'Approaching $2 million in donations reflects the incredible generosity and dedication of our valued customers, vendor partners and employees. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who's supported this cause over the years, and to Dr. Rutka and his team at SickKids for the groundbreaking work they continue to do.' About Bunzl Canada Bunzl Canada Inc. ( ) provides the cleaning and hygiene products and equipment, food and retail packaging, safety products and industrial supplies which keep over 45,000 Canadian businesses running optimally, every day. The company brings its customers the advantage of global sourcing, product innovation and national scale combined with responsive local service and deep category expertise. Bunzl Canada Inc. is an operating company of Bunzl plc (BNZL.L), a FTSE100 company listed on the London Stock Exchange in the Support Services sector. Media Inquiries Margo Hunnisett Vice President, Marketing & Communications Bunzl Canada Inc. (905) 630-3749 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
17-07-2025
- Health
E-scooter injuries on the rise across Canada, data shows
Hospitalizations related to injuries from scooters and e-scooters have risen, according to new Canadian data, as emergency physicians warn the two-wheeled vehicles aren't toys. The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) said Thursday that nearly 1,000 people were hospitalized (new window) for scooter-related injuries during the 12-month period starting April 1, 2023. That's up from 810 during the same period of 2022-23. Half of the injuries — 498 — were related to motorized e-scooters, an increase of 32 per cent over the 375 hospitalizations recorded in 2022-23. Some unintentional injuries are really predictable and preventable, particularly in relation to e-scooter injuries, said Tanya Khan, CIHI's manager of hospital data advancement and engagement in Montreal. Emergency physicians say the extent of injuries can be severe: brain, facial and dental trauma, fractures needing multiple surgeries, or traumatic brain injuries (new window) that require intensive care. Some injuries happen when the rider is hit by a car, but physicians are also treating people (new window) who have been hit by a rider. Back in 2020, Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) saw a single e-scooter injury. By 2024, that number had jumped to 46. Fast speeds on unstable devices Daniel Rosenfield, a pediatric emergency physician at SickKids, said the hospital saw 16 scooter-related injuries this May alone, compared with three or fewer during the same month in previous years. Rosenfield said injuries can range from bumps and fractures to life-changing head injuries and internal bleeding that need a whole trauma team or intensive care. This can be anything from just one or two surgeries to full recovery, to lifelong injuries needing rehabilitation hospitals and complete kind of neurologic devastation, Rosenfield said. Given what he has seen, Rosenfield implores parents not to buy e-scooters for children. They are not toys. WATCH | E-scooter rider versus Canada goose: People need physical maturity to operate e-scooters, Rosenfield said. From an emotional and cognitive perspective — where you just have the ability to understand where your body is in space, how you can make turns, what's far ahead and what's not — [it is] similar to driving a car. E-scooters can go from zero to 40 km/h in seconds, and many parents aren't aware of that, he said. At SickKids, almost 90 per cent of e-scooter injuries are among teenage boys. Most of them weren't wearing helmets. The hospital's injury rates also showed an increase among children aged four to six riding with a parent or older sibling. Enlarge image (new window) Source: Canadian Institute for Health Information Photo: CBC If you have speed plus head injury, a helmet will help mitigate those injuries every time, he said. Pamela Fuselli, president and CEO of Parachute, an injury prevention charity, said micro-mobility devices like e-scooters have small wheels and are unstable when being ridden. Inexperience comes into play, Fuselli said. Take some time to learn how to use these devices. She says all users should wear helmets, obey the rules of the road, including speed and alcohol limits, and respect other road users. Noting that provincial and municipal laws and regulations on using e-scooters vary across Canada, Fuselli said stepping up enforcement is important to prevent injuries. Amina Zafar (new window) · CBC News · Journalist Amina Zafar covers medical sciences and health care for CBC. She contributes to CBC Health's Second Opinion, which won silver for best editorial newsletter at the 2024 Digital Publishing Awards. She holds an undergraduate degree in environmental science and a master's in journalism. With files from CBC's Jennifer La Grassa
CTV News
17-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
E-scooter injuries are on the rise among both kids and adults, data and doctors say
People cross Elgin Street on e-scooters in Ottawa, on Sunday, June 25, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang TORONTO — The Canadian Institute for Health Information says e-scooter injuries are on the rise across the country. It released data Thursday saying that hospitalizations involving e-scooters for kids between five and 17 years old increased by 61 per cent from 2022-23 to 2023-24. The agency said hospitalizations for men between 18 and 64 went up by 22 per cent in that time period and went up by 60 per cent for women. The data shows the majority of e-scooter hospitalizations happened in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia. Dr. Daniel Rosenfield, a pediatric emergency physician at SickKids Hospital in Toronto, said the number of kids and teens arriving in the emergency department with e-scooter injuries has been increasing over the last five years and some have been 'catastrophic,' including one 13-year-old boy's death in 2023. 'We see anything from minor scrapes and cuts and little lacerations that need a couple of stitches to ... traumatic brain injury, internal bleeding in the chest and abdomen, open fractures that need to go to the operating room to be fixed,' he said. Some children between four and six years old have been hurt while riding with their parents on an e-scooter, Rosenfield said, but injuries among teens riding on their own is more common. Among cases where the information is available, 80 per cent of the riders who end up in the ER aren't wearing helmets, he said. Rosenfield said he thinks the rise in injuries correlates to an increase in the popularity and affordability of e-scooters in recent years — together with a lack of understanding about how dangerous they can be. 'These scooters, much like everything electrified these days, have come down in price and have increased in power,' he said. 'Their acceleration and torque is tremendous. And most parents, when they're buying these things for their kids, are completely unaware of that.' Pamela Fuselli, president and CEO of Parachute Canada — a charity focused on injury prevention — said the laws around e-scooters vary between provinces and even municipalities. In Ontario, riders must be at least 16 years old. But in Toronto, e-scooters are not allowed on public roads or paths. And just east of the city in Oshawa, they're permitted under a pilot program. But people are clearly using them even where they're not allowed, Fuselli said. 'Even while a city may have a bylaw about this, they can regulate what's operated in public spaces, but then that has to be enforced. They can't really regulate what's sold,' she said. Fuselli said kids under 16 should not be riding e-scooters — and parents shouldn't be buying them for children younger than that. 'They look like toys, but they really are motor vehicles,' she said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 17, 2025. Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content. Nicole Ireland, The Canadian Press
CBC
17-07-2025
- Health
- CBC
E-scooter injuries on the rise across Canada, data shows
Social Sharing Hospitalizations related to injuries from scooters and e-scooters have risen, according to new Canadian data, as emergency physicians warn the two-wheeled vehicles aren't toys. The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) said Thursday that nearly 1,000 people were hospitalized for scooter-related injuries during the 12-month period starting April 1, 2023. That's up from 810 during the same period of 2022-23. Half of the injuries — 498 — were related to motorized e-scooters, an increase of 32 per cent over the 375 hospitalizations recorded in 2022-23. "Some unintentional injuries are really predictable and preventable, particularly in relation to e-scooter injuries," said Tanya Khan, CIHI's manager of hospital data advancement and engagement in Montreal. Emergency physicians say the extent of injuries can be severe: brain, facial and dental trauma, fractures needing multiple surgeries, or traumatic brain injuries that require intensive care. Some injuries happen when the rider is hit by a car, but physicians are also treating people who have been hit by a rider. Back in 2020, Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) saw a single e-scooter injury. By 2024, that number had jumped to 46. Fast speeds on unstable devices Daniel Rosenfield, a pediatric emergency physician at SickKids, said the hospital saw 16 scooter-related injuries this May alone, compared with three or fewer during the same month in previous years. Rosenfield said injuries can range from bumps and fractures to life-changing head injuries and internal bleeding that need a whole trauma team or intensive care. "This can be anything from just one or two surgeries to full recovery, to lifelong injuries needing rehabilitation hospitals and complete kind of neurologic devastation," Rosenfield said. Given what he has seen, Rosenfield implores parents not to buy e-scooters for children. "They are not toys." WATCH | E-scooter rider versus Canada goose: A 'rogue Canada goose' caused her to fall from her e-scooter, landing her in the ER 2 years ago An e-scooter crash earlier this summer left Jackie Gravel, 61, with a broken jaw and the inability to eat solid foods for six weeks. People need physical maturity to operate e-scooters, Rosenfield said. "From an emotional and cognitive perspective — where you just have the ability to understand where your body is in space, how you can make turns, what's far ahead and what's not — [it is] similar to driving a car." E-scooters can go from zero to 40 km/h in seconds, and many parents aren't aware of that, he said. At SickKids, almost 90 per cent of e-scooter injuries are among teenage boys. Most of them weren't wearing helmets. The hospital's injury rates also showed an increase among children aged four to six riding with a parent or older sibling. "If you have speed plus head injury, a helmet will help mitigate those injuries every time," he said. Pamela Fuselli, president and CEO of Parachute, an injury prevention charity, said micro-mobility devices like e-scooters have small wheels and are unstable when being ridden. "Inexperience comes into play," Fuselli said. "Take some time to learn how to use these devices." She says all users should wear helmets, obey the rules of the road, including speed and alcohol limits, and respect other road users. Noting that provincial and municipal laws and regulations on using e-scooters vary across Canada, Fuselli said stepping up enforcement is important to prevent injuries.
Global News
10-07-2025
- Health
- Global News
Team Addy's basketball tournament aims to raise $100K for cancer research
The fourth annual Team Addy basketball tournament returns this weekend. The tournament is in support of sarcoma cancer research after Elora, Ont., teenager Addison Hill died of the disease in 2022. Jessica Hill, Addison's mother and founder of the Team Addy initiative, said it was initially her daughter's idea to start the fundraiser. Hill said her daughter wanted to do more for children battling sarcoma, a rare form of cancer, while she was undergoing chemotherapy at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children a few years ago. 'It was initially can we reach out to her basketball coach and see if we can just host a basketball game? I'd have some cotton candy and some ice cream and just started like that and started putting our brains together,' Hill said. Story continues below advertisement In 2022, Addison's coach at the Centre Wellington Celtics basketball program created a 3-on-3 tournament that has since become one of Canada's largest amateur basketball competitions. It was Addison's idea to use it to raise money for cancer research. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Hill said Addison would have been so happy to see how the fundraiser has evolved since then. 'She would walk around with the biggest smile on her face, knowing that she's making an impact, because she wanted to help those kids at SickKids. So, to honour that wish is my honour,' she said. For the last three years, the tournament has been played at Centre Wellington District High School in Fergus, but it will move to the University of Guelph on Saturday to accommodate the participating teams. It begins at 9 a.m. and will feature nearly 200 teams playing on 16 courts. Hill said there will be something for everyone, including a barbecue, a live DJ, a three-point shootout, a slam dunk contest and face painting. Hill said the event's fundraising goal is $100,000. The tournament, along other third-party events, has raised over half a million dollars for cancer research. She said proceeds from the tournament will go towards cancer research at SickKids. 'Addison did leave her mark here. Those who met, and those who she hadn't met, feel like they know. Her story is so inspiring, and we just wanted to give back to sarcoma cancer research at SickKids,' she said.
