The Evans Family

“Our safe place to fall”

“I first became aware of Ronald McDonald House in general in Edmonton, Alberta. My son, Isaiah, was transferred to the Stollery Children’s Hospital shortly after he was born in February 2016. A social worker in the NICU told me about Ronald McDonald House as I was hundreds of miles from home and not able to stay at the hospital with my baby. Once my son was stabilized we were transferred back to Saskatchewan where his care is now managed at the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital. The social workers within the hospital were able to connect me with the Saskatoon RMH and we’ve been staying there ever since.

Since 2016 we have stayed at RMH in Saskatoon 164 nights. We recently spent 90 consecutive days in the House this past 2021 summer while my son underwent major spinal surgery.

I’m not sure what our family would have done without RMH. First off, financially we would be broken without RMH. There is so much stress when dealing with a medically fragile child that adding on the stress of not being able to afford a place to stay would almost be too much to handle. RMH has become our safe place to fall. A place where I can unpack my suitcase, hang up my clothes, and leave my toothbrush on the bathroom counter. A place where my other children can stay while I am in the hospital with Isaiah. This was especially helpful during the Covid pandemic as our other children weren’t able to come into the hospital at all.

“We appreciate all the staff at RMHC-SK. They are always so friendly and helpful. Their smiles and eagerness to help lifted some of the daily heaviness we were feeling.”

Janelle Evans, Edmonton, AB

RMHC-SK has provided us with so much more than a roof over our heads. Every morning this past summer I would pack my lunch kit for the day with enough food for breakfast, lunch, snack time, and supper. The pantry is always filled with delicious food and the Home for Supper programs are fantastic! Often I had my meal packaged for me so I didn’t have to spend much time away from the hospital. The shuttle program is also a great program. On days where I was in a hurry or it was raining I could catch a ride over to the hospital and avoid the expensive cost of parking my own vehicle at the hospital.

We also really appreciated the beautiful landscaping and the new garden area to sit and relax in. You can’t be around all those beautiful flowers and feel stressed at the same time. I found much peace and healing in the garden/green space. I should also mention that my husband LOVES the massage chair! We appreciate all the staff at RMHC-SK. They are always so friendly and helpful. Their smiles and eagerness to help lifted some of the daily heaviness we were feeling. My mother spent a lot of time at RMH-SK taking care of my infant daughter this past summer, and the staff took the time to learn her name and made her feel welcome. We love RMH-SK.”

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