09/20/2026
The Woodstock Top Quality Builders Warriors will be raffling off one of their third jerseys in support of the Bernard family.
A little background on the journey Brooks has been on so far...
Brooks Austin Wilder Bernard was born on May 17, 2026, six weeks premature, with a congenital heart defect called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS).
HLHS is a rare and complex congenital heart defect present from birth in which the left side of the heart is critically underdeveloped. Brooks’ left ventricle, mitral valve, aortic valve and ascending aorta were all too small or malformed for his heart to effectively pump oxygen-rich blood to the rest of his body.
HLHS cannot be cured, so treatment involves a series of three major palliative surgeries that completely reroute the way blood flows through the heart. The goal is for the right side of Brooks’ heart to pump blood to his body while blood flows passively to his lungs.
Because Brooks’ heart is so complex, none of the hospitals in the Maritimes offer all the surgeries he needs. His cardiac care has taken him all the way to SickKids in Toronto, one of the world’s leading children’s hospitals.
Brooks has already undergone three heart surgeries.
His first surgery was on May 18, when he was just one day old and 34 weeks gestation. He underwent pulmonary artery banding, where bands were placed around his pulmonary arteries to control the amount of blood flowing to his lungs. This helped protect his lungs and allowed more blood flow to reach the rest of his body while he grew big and strong enough for his Norwood surgery.
On June 19, Brooks underwent his Norwood surgery, the first stage of his single-ventricle journey. During this surgery, his tiny aorta was reconstructed into a new neo-aorta, an opening between the atria was created to allow oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood to mix, and a Sano shunt was placed to provide blood flow to his lungs.
On September 3, Brooks underwent his third heart surgery. His Sano shunt was exchanged for a BT shunt to provide blood flow to his lungs, and he had a full bilateral pulmonary artery plasty, where both of his pulmonary arteries were opened and enlarged using patches. The hope is that his pulmonary arteries will continue to grow and that he will eventually be strong enough to move forward with the next stage of his single-ventricle journey, the Glenn.
But Brooks’ heart has not been his only battle. Because he was born prematurely and has spent his entire life critically ill and hospitalized, his little body has faced many other challenges.
At birth, Brooks suffered a white matter injury to his brain due to lack of oxygen. His lungs and pulmonary arteries have also had many difficulties because he was born before his lungs were fully developed. He has spent a large portion of his life needing respiratory support and intensive monitoring. His gastrointestinal system has given him many challenges as well. Brooks has dealt with severe intestinal dysmotility, NEC, and six separate episodes of intussusception.
He is also dealing with hyperbilirubinemia, or chronic jaundice, along with an abnormally enlarged liver and issues involving his liver, kidneys and gallbladder, which have developed after spending so much of his life hospitalized and requiring extensive medical treatment.
On top of everything else, the medications Brooks has needed to survive have contributed to osteopenia, meaning his bones are weaker and more fragile than they should be.
Brooks has spent essentially his entire life in the ICU.
He has been through countless blood draws, scans, procedures, medications, setbacks and surgeries. He has had to fight through things no baby should ever have to experience.
But somehow, through all of it, Brooks is still Brooks. He is such a happy little baby. He is incredibly expressive, incredibly cuddly and has the sweetest personality. Despite everything his little body has endured, he continues to smile, cuddle and bring so much happiness to everyone around him.
His journey has been incredibly difficult, but he has shown us just how strong, brave and resilient one tiny little boy can be.
Brooks still has a long road ahead of him, and his journey is far from over. The proceeds from this auction will go toward helping Brooks and our family through his ongoing medical journey.
Raffle tickets will be available at all Warrior home games or you can purchase raffle tickets at the Warriors office at the AYR Motor Centre.
Raffle Tickets
$15 for 6 raffle tickets
$20 for 12 raffle tickets
Draw will take place on October 30th
Contact Jason Tatarnic if you have any questions. 306-471-7730 or by email
[email protected]
