124:, a program she loved because of her passion for horses. When her youngest brother fell asleep on her lap, she did not want to wake him and remained in front of the television set when a White Cane Week special aired. The program's hosts explained how some cases of blindness could be cured with corneal donations, restoring a recipient's eyesight. After the program Janis, moved, told her mother and father that when she died she wanted to donate her eyes to the Eye Bank. Her parents—Harry Rudolphe (Rudy) Babson, a member of the
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at the age of 10. Her story was reported in a newspaper article syndicated across Canada, inspiring two books and other memorials. When Janis died of leukemia in 1961, corneal transplantation was a relatively unknown procedure. Although parents who lose young children frequently donate some of their
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page where many whose lives were touched by Janis's can leave comments and posts. A 50th-anniversary tribute, arranged by the Babson family, was held May 27, 2011, in Ottawa to commemorate a half-century since Janis's death. It featured
Lawrence Elliott, a new commemorative edition of
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on Friday, May 12, 1961. Throughout her illness, Janis reminded her parents about her desire to donate her eyes; their original reluctance gave way when Rudy signed the consent forms for the donation of Janis's eyes a few hours before her death.
152:. At that time, leukemia was invariably fatal; with the chemotherapy available, Janis was expected to live about a year. She responded well to treatments which slowed the advance of the leukemia, and survived about 26 months after her diagnosis.
208:, Ontario, with her family. When the Kennedys were interviewed by the local paper as part of a get-to-know-your-neighbours feature, Tricia Kennedy announced that her best friend had died of leukemia and donated her eyes to the Eye Bank in
176:, Janis's condition deteriorated in early 1961 as her leukemia worsened and she was hospitalized and released twice. In early May, she was hospitalized for the third (and final) time. Janis died in her parents' arms at 9:25 pm
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organs to others, Janis's bequest was significant because the donation of her eyes at her death was her own idea, and it inspired many other people—across Canada and elsewhere—to become cornea donors as well.
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In early 1959, when Janis was eight years old, her mother noticed that she had lost her energy and appetite. Her father took her to the family pediatrician who noted a great increase in
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222:, contacted the Babsons; his interview became "Little Janis" in his May 31, 1961 "Below the Hill" column. The response was immediate: from Ottawa Mayor
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The
Internet has spawned several websites dedicated to Janis Babson's memory. In addition, her family (mother and siblings) have created a memorial
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in Janis's name for leukemia research) to groups and individuals who set a record for the number of pledged donations to the Eye Bank.
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and Rita Quinn Babson—knew their daughter was serious about the gift, but it was a big decision for such a young girl.
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93:(September 9, 1950 – May 12, 1961) was a Canadian girl who received posthumous acclaim with the donation of her
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Caroline
Langill: Custody of the Eyes - Essays on Caroline Langill by Kathleen Garay and Caroline Langill
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Gravesite of Janis Babson (and her father, Harry
Rudolphe Babson), Notre Dame Cemetery, Ottawa
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245:(Holy Cross Press) by Rena Ray. The following year Lawrence Elliott, a correspondent for
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from a sample he took. He ordered additional tests and referred her to
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In 1962, the first of two books on Janis's life was published:
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to retired pharmacist Abe Silver (who created an endowment to
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Janis happened to see a television program sponsored by an
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Janis's best friend, Tricia
Kennedy, moved from Ottawa to
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Assortment of Janis Babson
Daffodils named in her honour
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212:. Impressed, the reporter then contacted the
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625:Lenten Meditation: Character produces hope
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437:. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
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381:"Local Girl's Faith To Inspire Research"
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675:Burials at Notre-Dame Cemetery (Ottawa)
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655:Deaths from acute lymphocytic leukemia
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466: – via Ottawa Citizen
535:. Ottawa: Ottawa Art Gallery. 1996.
479:McIntosh, Jennifer (June 8, 2011).
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196:was attended by her entire school.
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458:"One girl changed so many lives"
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456:Dave Brown (April 11, 2011).
126:Royal Canadian Mounted Police
481:"The gift that keeps giving"
257:Holt, Rinehart & Winston
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265:The Triumph of Janis Babson
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597:Elliott, Lawrence (1964).
505:Elliott, Lawrence (2011).
433:Elliott, Lawrence (1963).
356:"Bidding friends farewell"
150:sub-acute form of leukemia
387:. July 3, 1961. p. 3
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144:Alexander English at the
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564:"Narcissus Janis Babson"
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468:(subscription required)
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16:Canadian cancer victim
412:Saint-Laurent, Quebec
314:July 1, 2009, at the
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146:Ottawa Civic Hospital
101:after her death from
615:A Little Girl's Gift
599:A Little Girl's Gift
507:A Little Girl's Gift
485:YourOttawaRegion.com
435:A Little Girl's Gift
414:: Holy Cross Press.
344:Elliott 1964, p. 79.
335:Elliott 1964, p. 35.
326:Elliott 1964, p. 19.
282:A Little Girl's Gift
253:A Little Girl's Gift
52:Windsor, Nova Scotia
286:Custody of the Eyes
186:Notre Dame Cemetery
184:Janis is buried in
79:Cause of death
619:Janis of City View
509:. Scrivana Press.
408:Janis of City View
406:Ray, Rena (1962).
243:Janis of City View
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650:Canadian children
568:White Flower Farm
228:Hebrew University
224:Charlotte Whitton
138:white blood cells
91:Janis Anne Babson
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63:May 12, 1961
645:1961 deaths
640:1950 births
206:Chalk River
634:Categories
591:References
462:Ottawa Sun
360:Ottawa Sun
99:transplant
44:1950-09-09
578:April 22,
548:April 23,
490:April 23,
391:April 23,
365:April 23,
263:entitled
420:49103798
312:Archived
290:daffodil
277:Facebook
271:Tributes
132:Leukemia
116:eye bank
103:leukemia
83:Leukemia
54:, Canada
443:1293762
220:Journal
210:Toronto
95:corneas
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200:Legacy
190:Ottawa
71:Ottawa
296:Notes
156:Death
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537:ISBN
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492:2013
439:OCLC
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393:2013
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60:Died
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
