New Riverdale facility named in honour of 18-year-old Emily Yeskoo

The new 10,000-square-foot children's hospice will transform a disused and derelict circa-1888 heritage building located on the same site as Bridgepoint Health hospital for patients with complex chronic disease and disability.

Located at 562 Gerrard St. E. at Broadview Avenue, the new children's hospice will be a state-of-the-art facility for children with life-limiting illnesses.

The Philip Aziz Centre (PAC) is behind the project. The 80-volunteer strong organization, which was founded in 1995 through a bequest from a Toronto art teacher who died of an AIDS-related illness, provides in-home practical, emotional and spiritual support to Toronto residents of all ages living with HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses.

The project involves building a three-storey addition along the north wall of an existing two-and-a-half-storey building to meet standards set by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

The building, known as the Governor's House, once served as the residence of the Old Don Jail's prison keeper and his family. Used as a clubhouse for guards from the neighbouring Don Jail, the building sat vacant for more than a year.

A small gatehouse on the site, called the Gatekeeper's House, is currently being repurposed for administrative uses for PAC's community programs as well as a children's hospice. Staff members hope to move into their new office space this fall.

The currently underused site, which is already zoned for health-care purposes, is just steps away from the Riverdale library as well as park land.

It's also just a few kilometres from the Hospital for Sick Children as many of its patients would also likely be patients of the University Avenue hospital.

The soon-to-be-built facility, which will feature an outdoor water feature, seating areas, a multi-sensory 'Snozelen' therapy room and a new main access point off the Don Jail Roadway, also has a new name - Emily's House - in honour of a special young lady named Emily Yeskoo.

Now 18, Emily was diagnosed with a rare and serious progressive disease called metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) when she was just 10 years old.

"Doctors are blown away Emily's survived to the age of 18. It's nothing short of a miracle," said her mother, Lindsey Yeskoo, explaining the terminal neurodegenerative disease is inherited when both parents carry a recessive gene.

No one in the family had ever had MLD prior to Emily, whom doctors believed would only live for three years after her diagnosis.

"It's a brutal disease, but (Emily's) such a sweet young woman with so much grace, dignity and courage. She represents a group of people largely hidden in society," said Yeskoo of her daughter, who is now bedridden and unable to speak.

Yeskoo went on to explain the symptoms of MLD encompass those of muscular dystrophy, Alzheimer's disease and Lou Gehrig's disease.

Despite those challenges, she said they try to enjoy every day with Emily by focusing on the positives.

"Emily still has the mental capacity and is engaged. She laughs, she cries and she's still learning. She's also very intuitive," said the North York resident.

Faced with the daunting task of providing round-the-clock care for Emily, the Yeskoo family started receiving weekly non-medical visits about four years ago from PAC volunteers.

"Emily's illness has been a whole family experience and the Philip Aziz Centre understands that. Their help has allowed our family to function as normally as possible," Yeskoo said, noting Emily has had several brushes with death over the years because of her disease.

Rauni Salminen, PAC's executive director, said she's so inspired by the Yeskoos, especially Emily, who, despite living with such tough circumstances, has remained positive through it all.

"She's an incredible kid. She's courageous and she's in such good spirits considering everything she's had to go through," said Salminen, adding the first donation for the new children's hospice was made by Emily's 14-year-old sister, Madeleine, who raised $30,000 for the cause in honour of her sister's recent 18th birthday.

"(Emily's) representative of a lot of the families and children we're going to be supporting at the home. The Yeskoos are just a lovely family. They're full of faith and full of love."

Salminen said for a year and a half she thought about naming the new hospice Emily's House. During a recent meeting of the organization's board of directors, she presented her idea and it was overwhelmingly adopted.

An anonymous $2 million donor, who had naming rights to the facility, also agreed calling the new children's hospice Emily's House was a great idea.

Yeskoo said learning the new hospice would be named in honour of Emily came as a "huge surprise" to the family of five.

"It's absolutely huge. I can't even find the words to express how I feel," said Yeskoo during a recent interview, noting all of the doctors and nurses who have worked with her daughter will be involved in Emily's House.

"Emily is also so touched and so excited to have a legacy. There's such a desperate need for a (children's) hospice (in Toronto)."

Yeskoo said as a middle class family they may not be able to make large monetary donations to the new facility, but they plan on giving back to the PAC by serving as lifelong volunteers.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the 10-bed, $7.5 million children's hospice is set for early next month and the Yeskoos are now working out the details to try and have its namesake attend the event.

Philips Aziz Centre is planning on holding a meeting in the near future to let the community know more about the project and get feedback.

So far, $5.1 million has been raised for the new children's hospice, thanks in part, to a $500,000 donation from the Ontario Trillium Foundation as well as $100,000 from The Rotary Club of Toronto.

Visit www.philipazizcentre.ca for more details.

THE PERFECT SITE IN RIVERDALE

For about seven years, Philip Aziz Centre looked for the ideal place to build a children's hospice.

Around 2006, the home hospice care provider learned of the property in south Riverdale property and after discussions with Bridgepoint Health and the City of Toronto entered into a 50-year lease.

Currently, there is no other option in Toronto for the family of a child with a life-limiting illness other than to go to a hospital when out-of-the-home palliative care is required.

Emily's House will meet that need by providing quality respite and end-of-life care 24 hours a day, seven days a week by qualified professionals who specialize in pediatric care. The new hospice will also provide ongoing family support, pain and symptom management, assistance with the transition to home from hospital following surgery or illness, and spiritual and bereavement care.

Emily's House is expected to open in late 2012.

A small gatehouse on the site, called the Gatekeeper's House, is currently being repurposed for administrative uses for PAC's community programs as well as the children's hospice. Staff members hope to move into their new office space this fall.

The currently underused site, which is already zoned for health-care purposes, is just steps away from the Riverdale library as well as park land.

It's also just a few kilometres from the Hospital for Sick Children as many of its patients would also likely be patients of the University Avenue hospital.

The soon-to-be-built facility, which will feature an outdoor water feature, seating areas, a multi-sensory 'Snozelen' therapy room and a new main access point off the Don Jail Roadway, also has a new name - Emily's House - in honour of a special young lady named Emily Yeskoo.

Now 18, Emily was diagnosed with a rare and serious progressive disease called metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) when she was just 10 years old.

"Doctors are blown away Emily's survived to the age of 18. It's nothing short of a miracle," said her mother, Lindsey Yeskoo, explaining the terminal neurodegenerative disease is inherited when both parents carry a recessive gene.

No one in the family had ever had MLD prior to Emily, whom doctors believed would only live for three years after her diagnosis.

"It's a brutal disease, but (Emily's) such a sweet young woman with so much grace, dignity and courage. She represents a group of people largely hidden in society," said Yeskoo of her daughter, who is now bedridden and unable to speak.

Yeskoo went on to explain the symptoms of MLD encompass those of muscular dystrophy, Alzheimer's disease and Lou Gehrig's disease.

Despite those challenges, she said they try to enjoy every day with Emily by focusing on the positives.

"Emily still has the mental capacity and is engaged. She laughs, she cries and she's still learning. She's also very intuitive," said the North York resident.

Faced with the daunting task of providing round-the-clock care for Emily, the Yeskoo family started receiving weekly non-medical visits about four years ago from PAC volunteers.

"Emily's illness has been a whole family experience and the Philip Aziz Centre understands that. Their help has allowed our family to function as normally as possible," Yeskoo said, noting Emily has had several brushes with death over the years because of her disease.

Rauni Salminen, PAC's executive director, said she's so inspired by the Yeskoos, especially Emily, who, despite living with such tough circumstances, has remained positive through it all.

"She's an incredible kid. She's courageous and she's in such good spirits considering everything she's had to go through," said Salminen, adding the first donation for the new children's hospice was made by Emily's 14-year-old sister, Madeleine, who raised $30,000 for the cause in honour of her sister's recent 18th birthday.

"(Emily's) representative of a lot of the families and children we're going to be supporting at the home. The Yeskoos are just a lovely family. They're full of faith and full of love."

Salminen said for a year and a half she thought about naming the new hospice Emily's House. During a recent meeting of the organization's board of directors, she presented her idea and it was overwhelmingly adopted.

An anonymous $2 million donor, who had naming rights to the facility, also agreed that calling the new children's hospice Emily's House was a great idea.

Yeskoo said learning the new hospice would be named in honour of Emily came as a "huge surprise" to the family of five.

"It's absolutely huge. I can't even find the words to express how I feel," said Yeskoo during a recent interview, noting all of the doctors and nurses who have worked with her daughter will be involved in Emily's House. "Emily is also so touched and so excited to have a legacy. There's such a desperate need for a (children's) hospice (in Toronto)."