Mr. Speaker, today in Ottawa we have 10 Canadian children who have been named Children's Miracle Network champions by the Children's Hospital Foundation.
Sierra Harrold, who is nine years old, is the B.C. champion and resides in Fort Nelson. Sierra has Gaucher disease, a rare metabolic disorder which causes ongoing bone thinning, liver and spleen damage, anemia, susceptibility to infections and the likelihood of brain damage.
Sierra has been treated at the B.C. Children's Hospital for the last seven years. She will continue to be treated, but she is improving and remains a champion through lengthy, painful treatments. Sierra and her other champion friends will go to Disney World, an award to honour her bravery and that of the other champions.
During the weekend in Vancouver I co-hosted the Italian B.C. Children's Hospital telethon. The Italians donated about $100,000 to the cause. This money will be presented to the B.C. Children's Hospital Foundation on June 1 and 2 during the annual telethon.
Today I would like to ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Sierra Harrold and the other nine Canadian Children's Miracle Network champions.