CALGARY, June 14, 2017 /CNW/ - Together with Ronald
McDonald House Charities (RMHC) Canada, one of eight WestJet Cares for Kids
partners, WestJet today released a new video to celebrate Coach
Dads and to highlight how Ronald McDonald Houses help keep families
of sick children close. Click here to view the Coach Dad: A
Father's Day surprise video.
The video puts the spotlight on Troy
Hunt and his family from Clarenville, Newfoundland. After Troy's
13-year-old son Darian was diagnosed with leukemia in November 2016, the family went to St. John's – nearly 200 kilometres away from
their hometown – so Darian could undergo treatment. Since more than
70 per cent of Canadians live outside a city with a children's
hospital, when a child becomes sick, families often travel hundreds
of kilometres to get the treatment and care their child needs. For
134 nights, the Hunt family stayed together at Ronald McDonald
House Newfoundland & Labrador. In March
2017, Darian went to Toronto to undergo a stem cell transplant,
donated by his father. Darian and his mom and dad moved into Ronald
McDonald House Toronto, where they remain to this day as Darian
continues his recovery.
"As fathers, we bond with our kids over the things we are
passionate about. For Darian and me, one of those things is
hockey," said Troy. "He has been playing since he was in grade one
and his best friends also play on the team. Watching Darian go
through what he has, we know it's difficult for Darian to be away
from home and away from his friends and teammates."
This Father's Day, WestJet and
Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada surprised Troy and Darian by
bringing together some of those who mean the most to them. Read
more about the special reunion at RMHC Toronto on the WestJet
blog.
"For the past 10 years, WestJet has been committed to supporting
children's health and wellbeing through WestJet Cares for Kids,"
said Richard Bartrem, WestJet
Vice-President, Marketing and Communications. "We were so inspired
by Troy and Darian's story that we went to work with our WestJet
Cares for Kids partner Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada, to
bring the Hunts and members of their extended hockey family
together. Bringing a sense of normalcy and togetherness to the Hunt
family, even if just for a moment, is what we aspired to do because
WestJet owners care."
"While Ronald McDonald Houses provide families with a caring
place to stay while their child receives treatment at a nearby
hospital, perhaps the greatest gift Ronald McDonald Houses offer
families like the Hunts is the gift of time together. Every moment
together is another opportunity for our families to create
cherished and treasured memories," said Cathy Loblaw, President and CEO, Ronald McDonald
House Charities Canada. "Together with our incredible
partners at WestJet, we are so grateful to have been a part of this
beautiful surprise for Troy and Darian and to have supported the
Hunt Family on their journey at RMHC Newfoundland & Labrador
and RMHC Toronto."
The Hunt family, WestJet and RMHC Canada are sharing this
special story to inspire Canadians to support the more than 30,000
families that call Canada's 15
Ronald McDonald Houses and 16 Ronald McDonald Family Rooms "home"
each year.
ABOUT RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES®
CANADA
RMHC Canada is the
national foundation of support for Canada's 15 Ronald McDonald Houses, 16 Ronald
McDonald Family Rooms and 2 Ronald McDonald Care Mobiles across the
country. Collectively, these programs support over 30,000 families
each year, providing access to quality health care and enabling
family-centered care. All by keeping families close – one family at
a time. The 15 Ronald McDonald Houses across the country provide a
home for out-of-town families whose children are being treated at a
nearby hospital, while the 16 Ronald McDonald Family Rooms offer
families a place to rest and recharge right inside the hospital.
Completing our circle of support are 2 Ronald McDonald Care
Mobiles, mobile health units that bring medical care to underserved
communities in Alberta. As our
founding and forever partner, and RMHC's largest donor, McDonald's
Restaurants of Canada, their
franchisees and guests, generously provide over $10 million annually to help support the RHMC
network of programs for families with sick children across
Canada. For more information, visit www.rmhc.ca.
About RMHC® Toronto
Canada's first and largest Ronald McDonald House, RMHC Toronto has been
fulfilling its mission since 1981 to provide a "home away from
home" for families of seriously ill children undergoing treatment
at a nearby hospital. We operate a House for 81 families in
downtown Toronto and 7 in-hospital
Family Rooms across the Greater Toronto
Area and in Northeastern
Ontario. We keep families close when they need each other
the most. For more information, visit www.rmhctoronto.ca.
About RMHC® NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR
Ronald
McDonald House Charities Newfoundland and Labrador helps keep families with a sick or
injured child close to each other and the care and resources they
need, when they need it most. Open 24 hours a day/7 days a week,
Ronald McDonald House features many
common areas including a large kitchen, family room, television
room, resource center, home office, children's play areas and
laundry facilities. Ronald McDonald
House is open to parents, siblings and at times, extended
family members of children receiving medical treatment in
St. John's. It draws on a
large pool of committed volunteers who help families feel at
home.
About WestJet
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SOURCE WestJet