Meet Cadence
Cadence was born to entertain! She loves singing, acting and her school’s theatre program. Since visiting the Stollery regularly since she was a baby, Cadence has always felt welcomed and truly part of the Stollery family.
When Cadence was a baby, she spent a lot of time in the Stollery’s Emergency department with croup, and as she grew up, she continued to visit the Stollery due to broken bones, chronic pain and gastrointestinal problems. Cadence and her family spent years going from specialist to specialist to find out what was going on with her. While Cadence and her family were navigating her health concerns, her mom received a diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a rare connective tissue disorder. Not long after, Cadence and her brother were also diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is a spectrum disorder that impacts each person differently. Cadence has chronic pain, three types of arthritis, easily broken and fractured bones, dysautonomia and narcolepsy. To manage her rare condition, Cadence spends four hours a week at the Stollery getting an infusion that helps with her fainting and dysautonomia.
While there is no cure for Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Cadence has been able to manage and navigate her rare disease within the walls of one building with the help of her team at the Stollery. The reassurance that comes with having a specialized team that understands her medical condition and history all in one place gives Cadence and her family comfort.