One never knows the true power of giving, until one is faced with a life altering challenge or medical need. Margaret Lathlin knows all too well about when a loved one is faced with a great need or health challenge. In 2015, one of Lathlin’s granddaughters, Tameka, suffered from Mitochondrial myopathy, Encephalopathy, Lactic Acidosis and Stroke (MELAS), which is a rare combination of medical conditions that lead to her having several seizures a day, some which lasted hours.
Local fundraising took place to help Tameka’s family with their needs during their most challenging times.
Now Lathlin has another granddaughter who faced a severe medical condition and needed treatment immediately.
“My granddaughter has autism and is non-verbal, so we didn’t know anything was wrong or that she was really sick, until we took her to the doctor,” said Lathlin. “She was taken by medivac from The Pas to Winnipeg and that’s when we learned she was having heart complications. They put her in a coma in Winnipeg, due to her having a hard time breathing, so they had to relax her heart. The operation couldn’t be done in Winnipeg, because they didn’t have the equipment, so from there she was taken to Edmonton.