Carlyle
The Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation raised $1,369.30 on July 1 because of one grateful, kind-hearted nine-year-old. The lemonade stand, with 100 percent of the proceeds donated to the foundation, was a sweet success for Blaze Dunn with some community members contributing over $200 for a glass of freshly squeezed lemonade.
Dunn is no stranger to the hospital, having overcome many challenges which consequently resulted in many hospital stays. His mother, Carole-Lyne Dunn describes her son as ‘9 going on 98’ with a ‘be strong, never ever give up’ attitude. He has an easy smile, is wise beyond his years, and has a ‘I believe in myself’ attitude.
Carlyle is home to the Dunn family with Dunn Transport hauling fuel for the southeast corner of the province for over seventy years. Traveling to and from Saskatoon for surgeries and medical appointments has been a way of life for the family for the past nine years.
Blaze, the youngest of three, was born with complex bilateral club foot resulting in three separate surgeries. The first set of casts were put on when he was five days old with surgeries occurring at age three months, two years and again at four years of age. Serial corrective castings meant Dunn didn’t learn to walk until he was almost two years old. When he was three years old, he also required surgery to correct strabismus (cross eyes) that was present since birth.
Dunn was born with a tethered spine which was not revealed until he had an MRI the week prior to a serious accident. August 16, 2022 Dunn forgot to stop at the end of his driveway and was run over by a utility trailer resulting in a shattered femur and humerus; basically the accident crushed the right side of his body. He was air ambulanced to Saskatoon. Dunn had to have his leg and arm set with rods.
The tethered spine release surgery occurred May of 2023.
“This is my first summer with no cast or wheelchair,” says Dunn who still has two or three more surgeries in the future.
According to Mrs. Dunn the fundraising ideas are driven by Blaze who wants to say thank you and make sure that other Saskatchewan children are supported by JPCH. She shared that because of Jim Pattison Hospital the family was able to stay in Saskatchewan instead of traveling to Montreal or Missouri for one of his surgeries.
Mrs. Dunn is grateful for the stellar team of pediatricians at JPCH.
“Blaze a trail for kids” can be found on Facebook and will set out his fundraising efforts. To date, Carlyle Fire Department donated all the recycle cans from the recently held lobster fest event. Manor Professional Bull Rodeo (PBR) occurring on July 22 has offered to donate their recycling as well.
A lemonade and yard sale will be held July 8 at 115 First Street West, Carlyle starting at 10 a.m.
Also, on Saturday, August 19 a lemonade and bake sale will be held at Carlyle Fun Dayz.
