Late December is a time usually full of joy and cheer. But December 2014 was different for Charlie’s family.

Annie had noticed that her five-year-old daughter Charlie was feverish and had bruising on her body. She wasn’t doing well. When she suddenly began having seizures and the tips of her tiny fingers darkened, she was rushed to the emergency room.

At the ER, they heard one of the last things a parent wants to hear: leukemia.

That was the suspected diagnosis for Charlie. Her hemoglobin, red blood cell, platelet and blood oxygen levels were dangerously low. And that wasn’t even the worst of it: her immune system was so seriously impaired that the doctors had little hope.

Annie sat by Charlie’s bedside in the hospital feeling utterly powerless. Every minute felt like an eternity. Every one of Charlie’s smiles, a reminder of life’s fragility. But the doctors still couldn’t say whether or not she had leukemia. Charlie’s family spent those never-ending days cycling through fear, anxiety and uncertainty.

While Charlie was in the hospital in 2014, she needed multiple blood transfusions.

«How does donating to the Héma-Québec Foundation change the lives of kids like Charlie?»

“ The Héma-Québec Foundation plays a crucial role in recruiting blood donors. Over 700 people work tirelessly on donor recruitment so that Héma-Québec’s blood banks are always ready for emergencies like Charlie’s—immediate access to transfusions can save lives. ”

Annie, Charlie’s mom