It’s a busy kitchen at the Delta Hotel in south Edmonton where Rylie — the Stollery’s Champion Child — is baking some cookies in support of the very hospital that helped her.
“It’s a home away from home for us,” said Richard Friesen, Rylie’s dad.
Every year the Stollery Children’s Hospital nominates a remarkable child to serve as their champion. Last fall Rylie found out she was the 2024 champion.
Deciding to bake cookies to raise money for the hospital. Rylie’s dad says the idea behind the cookies was a way to also spend time with her family.
“Her sister loves to bake and it was just an opportunity to bond and share some sister time,” he explained.
Partnering up with Delta Hotels in the city, the cookies will feature on the catering menu and the recipe was Rylie’s choice. All the proceeds from the cookies will go back to the hospital that has given Rylie the treatment she’s needed.
“So the cookies right now are available through the catering menu so if you setup a meeting or event that’s where you can get it. I don’t know perhaps if there’s a desire maybe they’ll look into it further if the public is interested,” explained Angela Bennett, with the Senior Development National Partnership at, Stollery Children’s Hospital.
Rylie’s journey with the Stollery has been lifelong. She was born prematurely with a hole in her heart and received care from Stollery’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit where an artificial valve was put into her heart.
Fast forward over ten years later, and Rylie required another surgery to replace the valve.
Her dad says she’s been doing great ever since and he is grateful to have the hospital close to home.
“It’s so reassuring knowing that a place like that is right in our backyard in Edmonton and when we need it it’s there and they gave us our daughter. Without them, she wouldn’t be here today.”
