Skip to main content

Celebrating RMH on McHappy Day



It's a place I wish didn't have to exist.

For that to happen, it would mean no child would ever get sick or need surgery requiring them to stay in a hospital. It would mean no childhood cancer, no trauma and no life-threatening diseases.

Unfortunately that is not reality.

But the silver lining in a world of childhood illness is a place called Ronald McDonald House.

These homes away from home are like a dose of medicine to relieve - even a little - the painful hours, days and months families endure while a child  is in hospital with a serious injury or illness.

RMH also "helps give sick children what they need most - their families."

I know this is true... because I have stayed there. That's why I am supporting McHappy Day to raise money for RMH.

RMH Hamilton was my home in 2010 and again this March. Both were positive experiences that left me feeling grateful and appreciative of the people who make these homes happen.

This place is close to our hearts and meant so much to us during a difficult time.

For weeks at a time over a period of several months my husband and I both stayed there while our son underwent surgery to remove a malignant tumour followed by months of chemotherapy.

Most recently, my daughter also got to stay at the newly renovated home in Hamilton. Words cannot describe how great it was to have her there with me after spending long days in ICU with my son. By still being close to McMaster, I was able to relax and enjoy my playtime with her. It lessened the anxiety of being away.

And the opportunity for her to be with mom during what must have been a confusing and scary time for a 4-year-old also left her with a positive experience.

"It was great," she always tells people.

Our family spoke so highly of RMH on our visits at the hospital, that my son insisted on going there once he was released. As eager as we were to go back home, we took my son for a tour of RMH Hamilton. He too was amazed and excited about the home.

Home-cooked meals, laundry facilities, quiet seating areas and recreational activities are only a few of the services offered at RMH. The home was clearly designed to meet our needs. The playroom was conveniently located off the dining room, so as I sipped my morning coffee I could watch Mackenzie play before returning to Mac.

The spacious rooms were quiet and comfortable. It truly was a place where I could come back to and relax. Supper would be warm and ready upon my return and whatever I needed was there, whether it was a hot tea, a snack or toothpaste.

It was a safehaven. A place where I could forget about the tubes, wires, monitors and hospital routines. It was our oasis.

Thank you.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The aftermath is MESSY

We are on the road to recovery!  Physically, Xavier is improving daily with his regular physio and pure determination only a child possesses. He is learning to walk again and use his left side, all while building back the muscle he lost.  He has at least another month of treatment left, but we are so fortunate we can manage it at home and at a dose that causes fewer side effects than he faced last month.  Xavier is determined and I admire that in children. The lack of self-pity in kids we have seen  on his cancer ward are so inspiring. Instead they use that energy to heal, and set goals for recovery.   Still there are residual symptoms that are concerning. He is choking on liquids more frequently, suffering from reflux and is unable to move his toes on his left foot. Seems minor but as he tries to walk now his toes curl under his foot and trip him. Who knew how important straightening your toes are!  But the lingering side effect of treatment ...
2 comments
Read more
Ever since I learned how to write, I have been writing. I am not a professional, nor do I pretend to be. I am not an English major or a published author. I wrote the news for years (almost 10 if you count my years at my college newspaper). But the benefit of writing for me is not for money; it's for pleasure. Writing makes me feel good. Since I was 10 years old I kept a diary. I wrote down my thoughts, my daily activities and everything in between. It was my stress relief - how I figured shit out. I can trace every low point in my life to a time when I stopped writing for pleasure. Pen to a paper, fingers to a keyboard, I have to write. My sanity depends on it. So, here I go. I intend on writing about my life, about stories I have swirling around in my head. And maybe share some excerpts from my diaries as a child. If no one reads this, that's fine. It's not for anyone else but me. But if they do, that's ok too. If I can bring a tear, a laugh or a smile to someone e...
2 comments
Read more

Feeding the fire

Buried deep within my soul is a fire. It burns slowly; smouldering inside me day after day. I long for the day when this fire rages again. Like it used to before I smothered it with life. Before kids, before mortgages, bills, illnesses and medical interventions, there was something else on my mind. It was fuelled by almost everything around me and grew stronger with every use. This was something that took me through dark spiralling tunnels, across cobalt blue seas with purple monkeys swimming and up mossy green mountains that whispered cool breezes. It sparked all my  senses and tugged at my heart. It sent shivers down my spine and excitement in my belly. And sometimes it paid. My creativity was ignited by an imagination as unique as every snowflake that falls. The words came to me, the stories flowed and the imagery made sense. I created eloquent editorial and powerful prose. But somehow along the way I lost my creative spirit. I pushed it away. I pushed it down. I push...
1 comment
Read more