The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

"(The doctors) were pmry Certain she was an OK size." Mrs. Prion: "A 32-week“ is not one they usually worry about. But natu- rally “'5 the fear of the unknown. Mama's immune system is so compromised, the few visitors allowed into the home must wear a gown and be masked. When Rocco. Michelle's husband and Alaina's dad. comes home to Ballamme from Work. he undergoes a routine of changing his clothes and sanitiz- ing before he am séy hello to his daughter. BY SANDRA BOLAN sbulunk‘yrmg mm hen Alaina Prime turned a year old Now. 6. it was a bit- tersweet celebration It was a happy day for the Priores because. despite the odds. Mama was alive. But it was tough became. as her parents and older brother Thomas ate cake and celebrated with Mama in their Whirchurch-Smufiville living mom. the rest of their famfly and all their friends had to watch fmm outside. Whtm ham. Maina weigfmd two pounds. I 1 ounces. roughly the Size of a 28â€"week-dd. “She looked out the glass window. and waving at mrynrw." said he! 1mm. Midwfle. Alaina. now 18 months old. has surfactant deficiency. Surfactant is like soap in lhal it washes out secretions within the lungs so they can freely expand. Because Maine is surfactant deficient. her lungs are like a - sticky balloon that you try to blow up but some parts don't easily separate. ' Alanna also suflcrs fwm intersti- tial lung disease. pulmonary hyper- tension. a hate in her bean and amt-me failure to thrive. Her conditinn is so ram. Alaina m hemconlyonc in (Lanada with surfaaant “It's not something that you treat. It's not curable." Mm Pn'mt said. Alaina was bom at 32 weeks ges- tation. Mrs. Prime was induced into labour because ducmrs discpvered her placenta was deterknating and stunning Mama’s growth. Alaina also suffers from interstitial lung disease. pulmonary hmnmsion. c’xtren'w failun‘ to th rim a hole in her heart and Fighting for their princess “She wasn't taking a breth on her own ~ from a common cold. It was touch andgo. It wasto .", Mm Prion: said Choking bat: her emotions. ' "I was guaranteed. by one of the doctors, them was nothing wrong with my baby. They didn'l know. I! was something so ran: they didn't test for it." A! first, Alaina‘s only known medical issue was chronic lung disease of a premature baby. whidl caused the newborn m spend her firm four momhs of life a! Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. on and off ventilators, Less than a month later. on Mmher's Day. Mrs. Prion: the greatest gift she could have asked for «â€" Alaina came home. Since then. Mrs. Prime describes their lives as chaotic.‘ stressful and an emotional roller coaster. - Although Mama was allowed to come home at six months of age. she was tepeatedly admitted to Sick Kids for msvimlory distress caused by aspiration pneumonia. In a lam ditch efion to deter- mine the cause of Mama's medical distress. she underwent testing that is available only in the United States. It tool: 12 weeks for the results to come back. 111a: Is when the l‘floms leaer Alaina was surfactant deficient. which is a genetic disease. At one point. Alaina‘wem into [respiratory distress It was then her doctors realized she needed the type of cane only available at Kids Hospital. A feeding tube was inserted into Alaina's tiny. frail body because doctors discovered she was at risk of inhaling food into her lungs “Tryfng t9 keep everyone} life Ballamrae’s Alaina Prion, 18 months. is, to her pamcs’ knowledge, the only Canadian with surfactant defi- mifilyfidpfilsm‘he [hing m qu- To bring 3mm" '0 Alaim’s condition and the Pnorr’ family 8 Plid'tt. M are helping the couple M3," Mainikh‘iflh Mm organize the Princess Maine Benefit Iuly 17 at the Ghana Baccus in Toronto. "It‘s a no mother should have to make. It's no! good for Thomas. But it‘s detrimental to Alaina. "01! get over it. She won't." Mm Prime said. The Primes malady to finally - take their newest family member home on Easter Sunday last year. butAlaina spikedafeverandended up with Immune. which is (becomâ€" mon Cold for the non-immune compromised. Prior to Alaina's birth. Mrs. Prime taught at a Montessori school and bmughl Thomas with her to its davcare centre. Now. Thomas is being home schooled until Mama's immune system strengthens She spent m-and-a-half weeks in ICU on life support. Stoufl‘ville tot may be only person in Canada with lung condition "It just lakes one person. A few people at one famify to my and raise awan'ncss and l imt hope we can do that.” “We want to open up someone's in the research department.“ Mm Prime said. “Hopefully raise awamness so we can open our own march wing in Canada. “ll's so rare that Mains. from what I know. is the onlyone in (' hnada of her kind." Mm. Priorc said. l.uisa Amabile. who has known Mr. Prime since they wen! chil- Doctors gave Mama 3 year to live. She's now l8‘months old. In an efltm to bring attention to Maine's condition and the Prime family's plight. friends an: helping the ample ("minim the Princess Mama Benefit, which takcsplhce My I? at the Grand Baccus in '[urontu dren. wanted to help the family. but just couldn't come up with anything she fell to be signifi- cant. She. decided m take the lead on the fundraiser. "liwnl planning is my passion. It's mmcthing I've always wanted In do no I'm gning to donate my time." Ms Amahilo said. ‘We want to open up someone": (yrs in‘the resean‘h depamnem. Hopefully raise awareness so we (an open our own research wing in Canada. .. It just takcs one person: A car wash. also in suppnn ut the Princess Alaina Fungi. i\ lum- 24 {mm 8 a.m. In nunn It the Smufl‘villo Aulu Wash, 37’ Winnnd Dr. Developmentally. Alaina is a normal 18â€"month-old girl. The Only challenge. according In her mothor, is keeping her stimulated hfi‘auw the hospital stays woakvn lwr tn the point she has in Ivan) In ('I’EIWI and "walk all aver again. Proceeds fmm the mom will also help pay for Mama's medic equipment and nurses. Alaina's last surgery was li‘h. M. It was to help alleviate the aspirat- ing lmo her lungs came home four days later and has not been back to the hospital since. She has also gained [our pounds “It puts my life in perspectiw How fortunate I am to have two healthy children ."