While Ronald McDonald House Charities is an international non-profit, the ripple effect of help extends right back to Collingwood.
On Sept. 22, McDonald’s Restaurants across Canada will be celebrating McHappy Day, where 10 per cent of proceeds of sales from that day will be going toward supporting Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC).
While the Collingwood and Wasaga Beach locations are gearing up for this year’s event, a Collingwood family who had a five-month stay at the RMHC Toronto house earlier this year is now settling into their new life as a family of three thanks to help provided by the beloved charity.
Jeff Gibbens and his fiancee Katrina Langdon first found out they were pregnant with their daughter Isla in 2020, with a due date in March 2021.
However, they learned early on that something wasn’t right.
“We knew a little bit in advance because during an ultrasound at about seven months we found there was a large mass on Isla’s neck,” Gibbens told CollingwoodToday.ca. “At that point we knew we were going to Mount Sinai Hospital for the birth and then brought to SickKids NICU (newborn intensive care unit) right away.”
Gibbens said he and Langdon’s initial plans were to stay at a hotel in Toronto, which would cost them roughly $1,000 a week plus food and parking.
“If it were short-term, we could have been fine but because it was long-term, there was just no way financially. We would have broken the bank,” he said. “We were hoping for RMHC Toronto.”
Gibbens said he was relieved when he was told they were given a spot at the house. He said they were initially told Isla would be at SickKids for two to three months, but in the end, she needed to stay five months before being discharged.
“I don’t know what we would have done. We ended up being pretty lucky. Everything kind of lined up for us,” he said. “To be honest, it was our only option, especially with COVID-19.”
The mass on Isla’s neck was a teratoma. Gibbens said the surgery to have it removed paralyzed one of her vocal cords and caused some nerve damage. She is currently fed using a gastrostomy tube.
“She will always have these issues but will hopefully grow out of... the feeding tube,” said Gibbens. “She will be able to eventually speak and live a happier life.”
Ronald McDonald House Charities gives families a place to stay together, close to their sick child in hospital.
RMHC Toronto has space for 81 families. In 2019, RMHC Toronto served 5,350 families from 479 communities across Canada. Four of those families were from Collingwood, and three more were from Wasaga Beach.
According to a letter sent out to potential donors, this year a family in need of support will arrive on an RMHC doorstep every 20 minutes, and last year, RMHC had to turn away 3,000 families due to lack of space.
“It had everything you need. The kitchen was great. They provided a meal plan and that was amazing. Anything to save us time so we could spend more time with Isla and each other was so nice to have,” said Gibbens. “They gave us the gift of time.”
Gibbens said he is sometimes at a loss for words when it comes to how he feels about the RMHC Toronto house, as they helped him during a time in his life of such uncertainty.
“I am just so grateful and thankful. The whole program is just so underrated,” he said.
McDonalds employee Carly Bartoletti said the annual McHappy day campaign is "an amazing cause," and it's one she's put her support behind.
Bartoletti worked at the Wasaga Beach McDonald’s for about eight years, before transferring to the Collingwood location about a year ago. She has always been actively involved in fundraising for McHappy Day as a McHappy Day Hero.
When she first started working for McDonald’s she didn’t know much about McHappy Day, but over time and seeing the good Ronald McDonald House Charities did gave her perspective.
“I volunteered and got more information. The energy of the day... everything about it is so high-energy and we made it amazing,” she said.
Bartoletti said hearing stories about the relief the Ronald McDonald House can be for families makes a big difference for her.
“It’s going to be a different type of McHappy Day this year,” said Bartoletti. “It’s going to be hard to exceed our fundraising (goals) from previous years, but we’re going to, at least, try to match it.”
This year, the Collingwood and Wasaga Beach McDonald’s will be partnering with the Manito Shrine Club for McHappy Day as a community partner.
McHappy Day, which typically raises $20,000 at the Collingwood and Wasaga Beach locations annually, usually runs in May but was put on hold in 2020 because of COVID-19 safety concerns.
“Even this May would not have been possible. There has definitely been an impact on fundraising this year because of COVID-19,” said store supervisor Vince Schneider. “We hope to raise $15,000 this year.”
For more information how you can donate beyond participating in McHappy Day on Sept. 22, you can visit the Collingwood/Wasaga Beach fundraising site here.
