Kianna's Story

 

On March 23, 2010, Paul Kauppila’s great-granddaughter Kianna Monkman was born — 13 weeks premature. At birth she weighed 2 lbs, 2 oz. and was immediately rushed into the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. For a time, it was touch and go. Heart surgery looked imminent. However, thanks to Kianna’s willpower, her family’s endless support, and the skilled staff at Children’s Hospital, she pulled through. Kianna was in care for 100 days and her family has nothing but praise for the hospital. 

 

Today, Kianna is a happy, thriving child in nursery school and her great-grandfather couldn’t be more pleased. “Kianna is a warm, loving girl with lots of smiles and hugs. We are so lucky to have her.” 

 

Paul is a retired cattle farmer from Eriksdale. A news hound and a sports fan, he thought about how much it would have cost if the family had to pay for Kianna’s care. He wanted to give back to the hospital that had saved his great-granddaughter’s life and so he chose to remember the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba with a gift in his will. “It was just amazing what they did for that little girl. I hope that my gift will make a difference to another child like Kianna.”

 

Kianna’s parents, Derek and Melissa Monkman, were delighted when they learned what Derek’s grandfather had done. Said Melissa, “We never dreamed we would need the hospital’s help but it was there for us. To see the hospital’s staff in action and how they can put a smile on a child’s face was just phenomenal.”