Maverick Bishop had a very special visit from hockey superstar Willie Nylander at the Toronto Sick Kids Hospital.
-by April MacDonald
In this county, in Cape Breton and in PEI, and across this country, hearts have banded together to rally around a little boy who has been fighter since the day he was born.
Maverick Bishop is the son of Woodrow (Woody) Bishop and Marie-Eve Roy; both parents have been updating their army of supporters through their social media accounts.
Mom, Dad, and sisters, Isla and Lexie have been fighting in his corner from Day One.
Maverick Bishop had his first operation as a baby when he was just 11 days old. When he was four he had open-heart surgery at the IWK Health Centre.
Here is a bit of the early days of Maverick’s journey as told by his aunt.
“As most of you may know, my nephew Maverick AKA ‘Top Gun’ and his Mom (Marie-Eve) and Dad (Woodrow) have been in the hospital for almost two months now. On January 16th he was taken to the ER in PEI having trouble breathing and then was transferred to the IWK on January 21st. Since then he has developed pneumonia and most recently plastic bronchitis.
“He has undergone many procedures including a Thoracentesis procedure, a catheterization procedure, Bronchoscopy, over a dozen X-rays, several ultrasounds, a few echoes, CT scans, daily blood work, a pic line, drainage tubes and most recently a TPN feeding process, just to name a few…The leakage which is from his Lymphatic System has caused the Plastic Bronchitis and the excess drainage we are seeing. He coughed up his 3rd cast of plastic bronchitis today. Ultimately, his Fontan is failing which is what we did not want to hear.
“We, as a family are hopeful that with the new chest tube and the TPN feeding process for the next week that it will give his Lymphatic system a chance to repair and get his Fontan circuit working effectively again. If not they might need to travel to Toronto, Boston or Philadelphia where they specialize in lymphatic procedures and Plastic Bronchitis.”
It has been a long journey full of ups and downs and many moments that would shake any parent to the core.
Maverick had his fourth heart surgery when he was just four years old, one his family had hoped this one will be his last.
Fast forward to the fall of 2024 when Maverick was placed on the pediatric heart transplant list, and after a long wait he finally received the news of an available heart and underwent his transplant surgery on January 30th.
Krishna Bishop is Maverick’s aunt. She spoke on behalf of the whole family on this very scary and hopeful next chapter on Maverick’s journey.
“Our hearts are full of gratitude – and at the same time, still very heavy. Maverick is only nine years old, and over those nine years he has braved many challenges, medical treatments and open-heart surgeries as a result of his very complicated heart condition. His determination to overcome every setback has been nothing short of an inspiration to all those who know him and even many who don’t.
Thanks to the incredible medical team at Toronto Sick Kids Hospital, the donor family’s unimaginable generosity, and countless prayers from people near and far, he has been given the gift of a new heart. A chance to live the life he always talks about – getting to play hockey with the big boys and getting back to PEI to be home to be with his family and see all his friends. And to just be a kid!”
Krishna Bishop wanted to sincerely thank everyone who has shared his story, prayed for him, checked in, and wrapped their family in love.
“Your support has carried us through some of the darkest most unsure moments. That said, his journey is far from over.
“His heart transplant is not a finish line – it is the beginning of a very long, complex, and fragile road to recovery. Maverick is still in the very early stages of healing and is nowhere near ‘in the clear.’ There are still so many unknowns, ongoing risks, intensive monitoring, medications, and setbacks that can arise without warning. His strength amazes us daily, but the road ahead will require time, patience, and immense support.”
Throughout this journey, Maverick and his parents, Woodrow and Marie-Eve and sisters, Isla (12) and Lexie (2) have been staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Toronto, allowing them to remain close to the hospital during this critical time while travelling back and forth from Prince Edward Island.
Maverick has had his favourite teams, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Toronto Blue Jays cheering him on, with some of the biggest names in sports visiting him in hospital and Maverick attending multiple games as well as practices.
On Wednesday, March 25th, Maverick the Champ was discharged from Sick Kids Hospital.
“A day that seemed so far away as recent as just last week, but the Champ has once again overcome all the setbacks and has surprised his whole team here, especially Marie-Eve Roy and I,” said dad, Woodrow Bishop.
“Just a couple weeks ago his team was talking about a trach and even a G-Tube for feeding. Maverick did not like the sound of that so he worked extra hard and we put as many fat free recipes as we could together for every meal, and with his determination we get to today.
“We could not be more proud and relieved for Mav after what he has been through. His recovery is far from over, tomorrow the Champ will start a new rehab program, but wow, are we happy today that we are another step closer to returning home to PEI,” added Bishop.
Woodrow Bishop is from Cheticamp and attended high school at Cape Breton Highland’s Education Centre in Terre Noire. He now lives in Prince Edward Island with his family.
Your army of supporters can’t wait until you’re all back in the comforts of your own home surrounded by the ones you love the most.
We send all our love to the family, but especially, to Maverick.