“I want kids to know that their truth matters because everyone deserves a voice and not everyone is given it,” says Nick Sarnelli. Read Nick’s story – and stories from other remarkable children and youth who receive care at McMaster Children’s Hospital.

December 9, 2021

2021 Celebrations: Kids’ mental health and more from McMaster Children’s Hospital

FEATURE STORY

Let’s talk about mental health: Your truth matters

Fifteen-year-old Nick Sarnelli shares a message with other young people experiencing mental health struggles after making huge strides in McMaster Children’s Hospital’s Child & Youth Mental Health Program. Read.

McMaster Children’s Hospital (MCH) has continued to provide a vast array of exemplary care for sick children in our region and advocate on behalf of patients and families. In 2021, the hospital continued to serve kids during the pandemic, whatever challenges they were facing.

This year, we shared stories of patients with Down syndome, scoliosis, and cystic fibrosis.

We connected with teens from MCH’s Youth Advisory Council, who shared some advice for their peers on how to stay mentally and physically healthy during the pandemic, and talked to a teenager about how he beat his debilitating school and social anxiety.

We shared how a free workshop called COPEing with Toddler Behaviour at Ron Joyce Children’s Health Centre helped parents learn how to make space for their daughter’s emotions and respond in ways that work.

Children, youth and families like the ones featured in these stories make every day at McMaster Children’s Hospital a special one.

McMaster Children’s Hospital has been providing care to children from across the region since 1988. Patients ranging in age from infancy to 17 receive care through a family-centred approach that accounts for the child’s emotional, mental and physical well-being.

The hospital is home to the fastest-growing kids-only emergency department in Ontario, one of Canada’s most advanced neonatal intensive care units, and a range of programs and clinics with unique expertise in a number of areas including children’s cancer, digestive diseases, and mental health.

Read all the 2021 celebration stories this month including resources from McMaster Children’s Hospital.