The Wollman Family

“It means the world to us how strangers can become family friends. Thank you for being our safe space and always making us feel “At Home”.

“We  are Tamra & James from Ponteix, SK. We have 5 beautiful children. Azariah (8), Asher (5), Selah & Shiloh (3), and Cedric(1). Cedric is our little warrior!

Cedric’s journey began on January 10th, 2023. Due to some complications with the baby, we had to deliver in Saskatoon SK. Cedric was born with enlarged bilateral echogenic kidneys, which led us to stay in the NICU for 10 days—some of the hardest days of our life. Our stay required a lot of tests and a lot of different doctors, which we are so thankful for. By the looks of how his kidneys presented on the ultrasound, they were sure he had a kidney disease. But his renal panel came back negative. We kept doing checkups with our nephron doctor every 3 months till he was a year old. His kidneys are stable now. After multiple Genetic tests, at 1 year and 4 months old, we found out Cedric has Bardet Biedl Syndrome 2. BBS is a very rare condition, every 1 in 250,000. BBS is a genetic condition that affects multiple body systems. Cilia, hearing loss, vision loss, kidney failure, cognitive skills, and much more. We are so lucky to have such an awesome team working with Cedric. From his specialists, PT, SLP, and feeding clinic. Cedric is tube-fed, we recently found out he has a laryngeal cleft, so he can’t have liquids as everything was aspirating into his lungs. But he can still have a few solid foods but simply refuses to eat.

When we first came to stay at RMHC­ SK, Cedric was only a few weeks old. Not knowing what to expect as we had never stayed in RMH before, we were blown away by the Love and support we got. It was home away from home! The staff have become some of our best friends and so have families we have met throughout the year. We can pick up our conversations where we left off on our previous visit. Everyone acknowledges Cedric, and asks how he’s doing. You don’t have to work hard to fit in. Everyone we meet is fighting a similar battle, and it feels good to share your thoughts and feelings with people who understand. I remember the first time we walked into the kitchen area a cute little sign caught my eye that read” Come to the dark side, we have cookies!” I was like “Yes! I have found me people!”:). When we first walked into our room a chalkboard beside the door read “Welcome Home Wollman Family.” I immediately got happy Tears in my eyes, you could feel the warmth, support, and love! The bathroom was sparkly clean with fresh towels and cosmetic items. And the room itself gave off “Home” vibes. The bed was so comfortable and they even brought a bassinet for Cedric to sleep in. Now he’s in a playpen. It’s just amazing. At every appointment in Saskatoon, we have stayed at RMHC-SK.

When Cedric was hospitalized after surgery, we knew my husband had a comfortable place to stay while I was with Cedric in the hospital. I think he spent a lot of time on the awesome Massage chair they have. And looks forward to it on every visit! My other kids get to come with us sometimes as well. They enjoy the playroom so much and are so happy to sleep in the bunk beds. The Amazing breakfasts provided every morning before a busy day in the hospital, or just chocolate milk and muffin or fruit from the community pantry and a Home for Dinner meal is always appreciated.

Everything about the house is awesome. Thank-you RMHC-SK for being our home away from home. We will forever be grateful for your hospitality and support. Thank you to everyone who has made an impact on Cedric’s life. Thank you to everyone for the wonderful donations, Cedric enjoys every toy he has picked from the toy room.

It means the world to us how strangers can become family friends. Thank you for being our safe space, and for always making us feel “At Home”.

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