Trish Hart and Kenna Cook Sr. stand over their son's grave at memorial gardens. (Nigel Maxwell/paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Community support

Prince Albert couple seeks to have hospital room named after late son

Oct 1, 2025 | 10:05 AM

As Trish Hart sits over her son’s grave she says all she wants is for his life to be acknowledged.

The Prince Albert mother launched a fundraising campaign to have a room in the pediatrics department at the upgraded Victoria Hospital named after her son Kenna who passed away last year just days before his second birthday.

“My auntie said he was born very special and from the start it was a battle to live. So we spent a lot of time on the pediatrics floor with him, got to know a bunch of specialists of all kinds,” Hart explained.

Kenna Cook Jr. was born in May, 2022 with complex medical needs. Hart recalled her son really loved dinosaurs and SpongeBob.

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“In the new ward we really want dinosaur decorations on it and like the one specific room dedicated to him and the [Boreal Healthcare] foundation said they could make it happen for us,” Hart said.

Noting her son’s stay at both Victoria Hospital and the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon, Hart said she will be forever appreciative of the staff who work there. 


“The Victoria Hospital is our lifeline in Prince Albert and across the North. Every dollar helps buy the equipment our doctors, nurses, and patients need, from modern beds to life-saving monitors to tools that help families stay together during treatment,” she wrote in the 20 for 20 campaign post.

“This cause matters to me, and I’m proud to be part of something bigger. If you can donate, thank you from the bottom of my heart. If you can share this page, that helps too.”

Kenna Cook Jr. (Submitted/ Trish Hart)

A beautiful bench sits beside Kenna’s grave. (Nigel Maxwell)

Hart’s goal is to raise $1,000 or more in time for the Give a Little Life Day radiothon on Dec. 5.

According to a statement provided by the Boreal Healthcare Foundation, it takes courage, love, and community spirit to turn loss into hope, and that’s exactly what Trish Hart has done in honouring her son Kenna in this fundraiser.

“This story touches all of us because the Victoria Hospital is our hospital. It’s where our kids are cared for, where our families turn in moments of need. Trish’s example shows that anyone in our community – families, schools, businesses – can step forward and make a difference. Every champion adds strength to Give a Little Life Day and brings us closer to equipping our hospital with the care our children and families deserve for the future.”

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @nigelmaxwell