CHEO is a home away from home for 10-year-old Aviyah while receiving lifesaving dialysis treatment

Aviyah Simpson is like many 10-year-olds. She loves spending time with her family, taking care of her cat, doing TikTok dance challenges, and singing.

"She's got a lot of fire and fight and humor," says Aviyah's mother, Natasha. "She's actually so funny, so sweet, and loving. She's my baby."

Aviyah has been in and out of hospital dealing with medical issues since she a toddler. When doctors performed an ultrasound to rule out a suspected illness, it led them to discover something else. Aviyah was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease, and then cysts found on her kidneys turned cancerous. She would need to have both her kidneys removed, and she was put on dialysis.

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"I was so scared. I was so nervous, but I knew I was going to be okay," says Aviyah. "For a second I thought I was going to die, but my mom told me I wasn't going to."

Dr. Robert Myette is a pediatric nephrologist at CHEO, and one of the doctors who administers Aviyah's dialysis treatments. "When a child has kidney failure or has their kidneys removed, we need to use a machine that will then take the blood out of the child and perform the filtering within a machine and bring the blood back into the child," says Myette. "Since we've removed both of Aviyah's kidneys, she is fully reliant on dialysis at this moment and she needs this. It's a life-sustaining therapy."

Aviyah is halfway through the overall dialysis treatment she requires to qualify for a kidney transplant. "We're making great strides in moving her forward towards a kidney transplant. We will be able to stop dialysis as we can give her a kidney that will be functioning again," says Dr. Myette.

Aviyah Simpson, 10, is halfway through the overall dialysis treatment she requires to qualify for a kidney transplant. (Kimberley Fowler/CTV News Ottawa)

During treatment, Natasha will massage Aviyah's hands, and other parts of her body, because dialysis can cause discomfort or cramping. When Aviyah finishes her treatment, she says it can be tiring and she feels like sleeping. Dr. Myette notes, "Dialysis can be pretty nasty and so you know the kids tend to feel a little bit unwell at some point, so we try our best not to have that happen."

Aviyah receives dialysis four mornings a week at CHEO, and then she gets school at her bedside in the afternoon. She loves math, English, and music therapy. In the summer, Aviyah is also acting in a play to be performed at the hospital.

During treatment, Aviyah Simpson's mom Natasha will massage her hands and other parts of her body, because dialysis can cause discomfort or cramping. (Kimberley Fowler/CTV News Ottawa)

The hospital also offers programs for support to help Aviyah and her family manage her kidney disease at home.

"It's hard," says Natasha, "It's hard sitting in a chair for hours doing dialysis. So, having these different groups being able to come out and spice up life for the children, it really means a lot."

None of this would be possible without donations to CHEO.

"I am so thankful to the volunteers and the donations that have gone towards the music program especially, and all the other programs here," adds Natasha.

Dr. Myette says, "CHEO as a whole is very grateful for the donations they receive and they use these dollars to make the lives of children in Ottawa better."

Thanks to your generosity, Aviyah can also manage her dialysis treatment and excel in school. She also shares her positive outlook on life with everyone she meets saying, "Whenever you're down or sad, just lift up your head. Make sure you're kind to others, so they can spread kindness to the others." 

The 41st CHEO Telethon continues all week on CTV News Ottawa, CTV Morning Live and Newstalk 580 CFRA, with the grand finale on CTV Ottawa Saturday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

You can make a donation to the CHEO Telethon online at www.cheotelethon.com or by calling 613-730-CHEO (2436).