A baby born without an immune system has finally come home with her family, after spending much of her young life in isolation.
Just two months ago, Quinn Shirley was living in a carefully disinfected and sealed room at the Victoria General Hospital. She was unable to feel the touch or kisses of her parents.
Quinn has severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). Also known as "bubble baby disease," it means Quinn has no immune system, and was diagnosed after catching a common cold that nearly claimed her life.
Back in April, the four-month-old's parents had to scrub up and don masks and gloves before they were allowed to be near her.
But now, Quinn lives almost like a normal girl her age, learning to stand, playing with toys and cuddling with her parents.
"Her giggles and laughs and her loving personality make us smile every day," Quinn's mother Dawn Shirley told CTV Vancouver during a video chat.
The Shirleys look like any other young family, with one exception: no one is allowed inside their home. The family has sealed off their house, creating a safe zone for their vulnerable baby.
"We can just act normal in the safety of our own house," father Robert Shirley said.
"It's definitely a lot nicer not having to put the gown and mask on."
Still, the Shirleys' lives are affected by the baby's condition. They rarely go on family outings, and if they do, Quinn has to be in her car seat or stroller with a plastic cover to protect her.
They mostly speak to family members and friends through video chats, and they must be on constant germ patrol.
"If something were to fall on the floor for even a second it's going in the wash or getting boiled. We don't take any chances," said Quinn's mother, Dawn.
But the parents are hopeful that one day they'll be able to live like most families. The province will cover the costs of an experimental treatment called curative gene therapy, a procedure sometimes used on children with similar conditions.
The therapy is available at the University of California, Los Angeles, and involves extracting some of the patient's bone marrow, isolating the blood stem cells and adding the gene they're missing. In a YouTube video, head researcher Donald Kohn said doctors then transplant the cells back into the patient.
The hope is that the cells then reproduce and slowly build an immune system.
The treatment is months away, so for now, the family's goal is to keep Quinn healthy and smiling.
With a report from CTV Vancouver's Bhinder Sajan
