Meet Okimasis
Okimasis comes from a close, traditional Indigenous family from Onicikiskwapowin, Saddle Lake Cree Nation. He loves spending time with his family and being part of ceremonies, and he enjoys oskapew – being a helper. Thanks to the team at the Stollery, Okimasis has been able to beat the odds and look at every challenge as an opportunity.
On this page
ShowOkimasis was only three days old when his family thought something was wrong. He was airlifted from St. Paul to Edmonton, where he was admitted to the Stollery Children’s Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). He stayed in the NICU for a month, where he had numerous MRIs and EEGs, as well as lumbar pokes, which showed that he was having multiple seizures. The team at the Stollery discovered that Okimasis had brain damage due to a traumatic brain injury, which led to an epilepsy diagnosis, partial blindness and various neurological disorders.
Okimasis’ family was told he would never walk or talk. Today, he is a happy young boy who loves to play hockey with his friends and cheer on the Edmonton Oilers. He never misses hockey practice and tries to do everything he puts his mind to. Okimasis will be a Stollery kid for his whole childhood, returning to the Stollery multiple times a year to see his neurology team and his ophthalmologist. His family is grateful to have the caring team at the Stollery available to help kids like theirs live up to their potential.
