It's been a tough road for Abigail Stewart, but she has now been given a chance to help others going through the same thing.

The Champions program has announced Abigail as the 2018 Children's Hospital Foundation of Manitoba Champion Child.

When Abigail was four-years-old, her mom brought her in for a bump on the head. That bump turned out to be Multisystem Langerhans Histiocystosis (MLH), a condition that causes white blood cells to eat away at bones.

MLH acts like a cancer and so it was treated like a cancer, with chemotherapy and steroid treatment. Even after Abigail went into remission, she continued to use the Children's Hospital. Procedures to repair steroid treatment damage and a leg brace to help her walk were a few of the things she continued to need.

Abigail will represent Manitoba in 2018, becoming an ambassador for the 120,000 children who visit the Children's Hospital every year. In March, Abigail will have the chance to meet other Champions from across North America in Ottawa. 

Abigail is also looking to raise money to support the unit that saved her life, the Pediatric Oncology Unit.

"Without the Children's Hospital, I probably wouldn't be here today," Abigail said.

The Champions program honours children who have triumphed over severe medical situations. The program has run for the past 11 years.