The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, February 4, 2016 | 20 Sweethearts for SickKids in memory of Luke Holmes by Julia Le Oakville Beaver Staff It has been eight years since Luke Holmes died, but he is with his family each and every day. "We have a table for six and there will always be a table for six," said his mother Carolyn Holmes, who shared with the Oakville Beaver what life has been like since her son's death for herself, her husband Troy and their three boys Zak, 13, Max, 12, and Jackson, 6. "When people ask me how many children I have, I always say four boys," Carolyn said, adding that talking about Luke and the memories they have shared with him are still part of their everyday life. As another year passes, it simply becomes the family's "new normal," she said. Luke died Dec. 28, 2007 after battling a congenital heart defect for most of his short life. He had to endure more than most people would in a lifetime -- a balloon valvotomy to open up the aortic valve and improve blood flow at nine-days-old, open heart surgery a We have a table for six and there will always be a table for six. When people ask me how many children I have, I always say four boys. Carolyn Holmes Luke's mom, founder of Luke's Legacy Our Services Earn 20% credit from physiotherapy · Massage · Acupuncture · Reflexology · Chinese Massage · Fertility Acupuncture · Physiotherapy · · · · Luke Holmes | submitted photo 1395 Abbeywood Drive, Unit 14, Oakville Open 7 days a week week before his first birthday and heart failure at 19-months-old. The day he died, just more than a month before his second birthday, Carolyn said she made a choice to honour Luke. She also made a commitment to move forward in a "positive way for my family." That came in the form of Luke's Legacy, a year later, to honour his memory and raise much-needed funds for the Cardiac Critical Care Unit at SickKids Hospital in Toronto where Luke was treated. With the help of close friends, the annual Sweetheart for SickKids was born -- a cookiedecorating fundraiser that has raised $121,000 to date. This year's event, now in its eighth year, falls on what would have been Luke's 10th birthday on Feb. 7. Families are invited to decorate a heartshaped, nut-free cookie at Longo's on Cornwall Road from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and also participate in the silent auction table and raffle, which includes plates painted by celebrities, like Michael `Pinball' Clemons, Bryan Baeumler (HGTV), Tracy Moore (CityLine) and Cheryl Hickey (ET Canada). see `The on p.21 AVAILABLE WHILE SUPPLIES LAST GIVE HER YOUR HEART U.S. Pat. No. 7,007,507 · © 2015 Pandora Jewelry, LLC · All rights reserv PANDORA.NET ed · GIFT SET $215 (RETAIL VALUE $240) WITH A BRAMALEA CITY CENTRE LOWER LEVEL 905.792.8820 SQUARE ONE SHOPPING CENTRE UPPER LEVEL 905.232.0661 MAPLEVIEW CENTRE UPPER LEVEL 905.632.5400 ERIN MILLS TOWN CENTRE UPPER LEVEL 905.828.5902 *In store only. While supplies last, limited time only. No substitutions. Prices before taxes. Items 791816CZ & 791752 are unavailable for individual purchase until 02/15/16.