At just 13 years old, Elias has already faced more medical challenges than most experience in a lifetime.
Cecile Cormier knew her pregnancy would be anything but typical when, at just twenty weeks, she learned her baby would be born with a congenital heart defect.
Despite the ever-changing and worsening prognosis, Cecile welcomed her son Elias in the summer of 2012, a healthy 8 lbs 2 oz. “Other than his heart defect, he was absolutely perfect,” she says.
Elias was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome — a severe congenital heart condition where the left side of the heart is underdeveloped. His first year was marked by surgeries: the first at only six days old, and the second just three months later.
Then came the third. In 2016, at age three, Elias’ body began showing signs that his heart could no longer keep up. He was fast tracked for another surgery, which initially went well, but as he emerged from anesthesia, everything changed. Elias suffered a major stroke resulting in significant brain injury. Soon after, he was diagnosed with spastic quadriparesis, a form of cerebral palsy causing severe stiffness in all four limbs.
That same year, Elias was admitted to Unit 201, the pediatric rehabilitation inpatient program at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, where he faced enormous challenges. He couldn’t swallow safely or see clearly. His speech, cognition, and both fine and gross motor skills were significantly affected.
At the Glenrose, a multidisciplinary team of specialists worked together to support all aspects of Elias’ recovery. From physical therapy to communication aids, every step was focused on helping him regain his skills and independence. Over the years, he continued to receive care through specialized programs, including the Pediatric Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program (BPIRP), the Orthopedic Treatment Clinic (OTC), and the Specialized Rehabilitation Outpatient Program (SROP).
“They normalized the experience for us, and they made it a family recovery,” says Cecile. “We are just so, so grateful. These beautiful humans at the Glenrose — they were his friends. They made that piece of his journey a lot more pleasant.”
For much of his childhood, Elias was immunocompromised, enduring frequent and often painful injections. To ease his fear and discomfort, Cecile began bringing fun, character-themed Band-Aids to the hospital. Though small, the ritual made a big difference and the friendly faces of Star Wars and Spiderman gave him comfort and courage during some of his toughest moments.
And it wasn’t long before Elias noticed that most hospitals didn’t offer kid-friendly Band-Aids. Inspired to spread that same comfort to others, he came up with a thoughtful idea — one that could turn a scary moment into something just a little bit brighter.
“Instead of gifts for his birthday that year, he asked if friends and family would donate bandaids so we could bring them to hospitals on our next visits.”
What started with thirty boxes has now grown into The Owie Project — a homegrown initiative that brings joy and comfort to other children undergoing medical procedures, one Band-Aid at a time.
“It’s a source of joy,” Cecile says.
Since The Owie Project began, Elias has donated over four thousand boxes of character Band-Aids to local children’s hospitals. Learn more about how you can take part by visiting theowieproject.ca.
