RMH

Marilyn, wife and mom of four from Regina, SK, shares her family’s story and the impact of Ronald McDonald House Toronto, in her own words.

Every cancer family can tell you the exact day and time that they heard the most awful four words they had ever heard: Your child has cancer. 

Tom was diagnosed on June 1, 2009.   He was 15 years old at the time, the youngest of our four children. 

Shortly after the initial diagnosis, we travelled to Calgary where they did a surgical biopsy and identified his type of cancer. 

Grim diagnosis
Tom has Ewing's Sarcoma - it is a relatively rare cancer of the bone and soft tissue. To complicate matters, Tom's cancer was present in both femurs and hips by the time it was diagnosed. We knew from the beginning that it would be an uphill battle. We were told at the outset that they estimated the chances of him surviving five years or more from diagnosis were less than 10%. 

He underwent 14 rounds of chemo, and 31 rounds of radiation in Regina (our home). He was in treatment in Regina from June 2009 to April 2010. 

In June 2010, we followed up with high dose chemo and a stem cell transplant in Calgary at Alberta Children's Hospital in an effort to improve his prognosis. During that time, we stayed at Ronald McDonald House Southern Alberta.

In December of 2010, we were told he had suffered a relapse.  He underwent four rounds of chemo.  

Then in May of 2011, he was advised to be non-weight bearing, and was confined to a wheelchair: the disease and the treatment had left him with bone and nerve damage and walking was becoming extremely painful. His prognosis was pretty grim at that time. Tom was advised that he had only 3 to 6 months to live. The days and weeks that followed were extremely difficult for Tom and for our whole family. 

A sudden change  
However, Tom began to get stronger and more healthy with each passing month - against all odds.

In August 2012, we asked for a second opinion and made our way to Toronto for consultations with oncologists and orthopaedic surgeons. 

In Toronto we received the good news that he was in remission! We were able to stay at Ronald McDonald House Toronto while we waited for Tom's treatment plan to be sorted out and we are so grateful!

The specialists in Toronto are very encouraging and believe that it may be possible for him to walk again. Rehab has been challenging and difficult, but we are happy to be moving forward - in a 180 degree opposite direction from where we thought we were headed a year ago. 

Impact of Ronald McDonald House Toronto
This has been one of the hardest challenges a child and their family could ever face.  We have been blessed by the kindness of so many people along the way, not the least of whom are the good folks at Ronald McDonald House Toronto!

Being able to have an affordable home away from home, where we could be together as a family, and had the additional benefit of connecting with other families facing similar challenges, was a gift beyond measure. 

Thank God for the Houses - we are so grateful for the help they provided along the way during Tom's journey with cancer. The impact to a family is huge - and you help make things easier both emotionally and financially.

We thank everyone who works and volunteers at Ronald McDonald House Toronto or supports Ronald McDonald Houses financially.  You help make the unbearable, bearable!

Tom and his family stayed at Ronald McDonald House Toronto for 92 days.  He continues his rehab in Toronto, and faces several more surgeries in 2013 with the hope of being able to walk again.