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Liam poster child for courage Plucky youth to participate in McMaster Childrený Hospital tel et hon By Stephanie Hounseil CANADIAN CHAMPION STAFF Nine-year-old Liam McGîbbon is sitting on his couch holding a string of brightly-coloured beads. Each bead represents a time the lit- CaIIing 81l Graduatos Our special Graduation Section will run Wednesday, lune 24, 2009 $59. S (picturo inci.> Deadline is Wednesday lune 17 at noon. 'No more than 40 words pinase" nbe Qtambia Qrwmqio Phone: 905-878-2341 Fax: 905-876-2364 Email: classified@ mltoncanadIanchampion.comn tde boy had to be brave over the past 10 months. There arc 42 beads. The red ones he earnied for being "poked" witb a needie, while the white ones represent painful dress- ing changes. The two orange beads are for the two major surgeries he underwent last November. "Every time 1 had to be brave she (hospital worker) gave me a bead," Liamn explained. The bravery beads are just one creative way staff al McMaster Children's Hospital help their patients get through the tough times. Looking at Liam now, its bard to believe it was just six months ago that he endured two brain surgeries - one almost 10 bours long - after a CT scan detected a tumour. Liam is a poster cbild for courage. Now hes also a poster child for McMaster Childrens Hospital in Hamilton, baving been named the 2009 ambassador for its fundraising campaign. On Sunday Ltamn will participate in the hospital's annual Celebration telethon, which will air on CHCH from 110o 7 p.m. Liam will be interviewed live and bis story will be featured in a docu- mentary He was also recently part of a radio-thon, and bis face appears on bus shelter signs in the Hamilton area to promote the telethon. Liam and bis parents, Jason and Kimberley, are lending their full support to the Celebration cam- paign because tbey've experienced first-hand aIl the bospital bas ta offer. "We have a world-class hospital so, close ta us in Milton," Kimberley said. "My prayer is that parents would not bave to face a life-threat- ening illness witb their children, but if tbey do, we want' tbem t0 know about McMaster Childrens Hospital." Iwas a routine CT scan at Milton District IHospital ti juIy of last year tbat turned up sometbing unusual. Liam bad migraines - which run in the family - and the doctor wanted to check things out. Wbat he found was a mass in Liam's brain. It was totally unrelated îo the migraines, wbicb turned oui to be a blessing in disguise, because tbey led to the CT scan. The tumour didn'î appear to be cancerous, but it was in a very deli- cale part of the brain. The McGibbons were told it would be a four-to-six-week wait for Liamn ta see a neurasurgeon in Toronto. Not knowing wbat tbey were dealing witb, the wait seemed impossibly long. "We were sbocked aI not only the news but also tbat we wauld have t0 wait so long to begin to investigate what exactly this mass was in our sons brain,' Kimberley said. Her sisîer-in-law suggested they find a neurasurgean at McMasîer Children's Hospital, affectianately knawn as Mac Kids. Less Ihan a week later, Liam was SIGNING ON TO HELP: Liam McGibbon stands in front of the sign hes fea- tured in ta raise awareness for this Sundays telethon. in 10 see renowned neurosurgeon and researcher Dr. Sheila Singb. There was no doubt about it- the tumour had to be removed or il could grow and begin pressing on other parts of bis brain. The two surgeries 10 remove the lumaur occurred just one week apart, tak- ing its toîl on the McGibbon family, whicb includes four kids. "The îougbesî is not knowing," Kimberley said. "The unknown is bard. Waiting between the surger- ies was bard." Liam's parents sîayed at the nearby Ronald McDanald bouse wbile be was in critical care. Farîunaely, Liam recovered quickly and was successful in bis goal 10 soon resume playing basket- baîl. Il was the liîtle touches ai McMaster îbaî meant sa much, Kimberley said. Volunteers make quilts for tbe beds s0 the rooms don't feel clinical, and a Wii video game system was brougbî to Liarn s room 10 cheer bim up during a par- licularly low point. "It was tbe firsî lime we saw bîrn smile in a long lime," bis mom said. And then theres the Cbild Life program, run by volunteers and social workers wbo sec to kids' emotional needs. A pastor ai The Sancîuary cburcb in Milton, Jason said bc and bis wife tried ta find the meaning in whaî Liam bad gone îhrougb. "For us, a big anc (question) was, 'What migbî God use ibis for?"' be said. The opporîuniîy ta point other families ta Mac Kids is quite possi- bly the answer, be said. "We feel blessed ta bave been there." To make a donation, visit wwwmackids.ca Stephani' Hounseil catio reached at sthiessenC@mi/toncaiiadi- anchampion. com.