During 2021, we received a record number of funding requests from various sources. However, the majority of the requests we receive are initiated by the various Social Workers at BC Children's Hospital and the staff at Ronald McDonald House BC. In many cases, the requests are for funding to cover medical related items that are not covered by Medicare costs. However, there are also a number of requests for support in day to day living expenses the families cannot afford due to the circumstances around their child's medical condition. A common story we have seen, is that the family has had to give up at least one of their family income streams, as their severely sick child requires full time care. We are happy to say, that due to the ongoing support of our loyal friends, associates and families, we have been able to approve almost all of the requests submitted. Thanks to all who have and continue to support us with donations (just a reminder that we can issue tax receipts for funds donated to us and that we can accept credit cards, cheques or e-transfers)!
Here is a snapshot of various initiatives we have funded in the past few months:
“ We are a family from Prince George. I had complications in my pregnancy and my son was born at 30 weeks. He has severe chronic lung disease and had surgery for a tracheostomy in April when he was 4 months old. Ronald McDonald house had closed its doorsto new family members due to COVID. So we were homeless. I want to thank you so much for helping find our apartments in May so that we could all live together. In June, RMH opened back so we moved back into the house. But without your support, our family would have been separated for a month.
I am happy to say that after 268 days in NICU, we moved home as a family!
Thank you for your help! ”
Carrie, Travis, Connor, Melanie, & Matthew
Currently, most of our opportunities to assist low income families with extremely sick children, are coming via contacts at both Ronald McDonald House BC and various social workers at BC Children’s Hospital.
The Better Days Society (BDS) got involved with Ronald McDonald House BC in 2019. Some of the family stories we have been involved with include:
Kathleen & Evan – Evan, at the age of 4, developed a very serious infection in his body which took intense treatments to overcome. However, Evan lost some fingers and toes as a result of the infection and requires custom bandages to assist with proper healing of his hands and feet. This cost is about $750/qtr. Kathleen had to give up her home and job to bring Evan to Vancouver for treatment. As such there was a strong need for funding of food and clothing.
BDS has given Kathleen and Evan gift certificates to cover a couple of months of food and some clothing money. We have also agreed to cover the cost of future bandages until they are no longer needed. Kathleen and Evan have been at RMH for over 4 months. BDS will continue to support this family as our funding permits.
Connor and his Dad, had been at RMH for over 290 nights when we were introduced to their situation. Dad is single parenting (he lost his wife the previous year to cancer), and has another son who stays with the grandparents in their home of Quesnel. We were able to assist with gas and food gift certificates.
We are in the process of reviewing a number of other family situations brought to us by RMH and look forward to assisting as many as we can, while still making sure we help significantly to the ones we do help!
Ella Ray was a 2½ year old girl when we became aware of her situation. She was born with very rare form of skin cancer. Over the next few years, Ella had over 30 surgeries, most of which were skin grafts to remove/replace the diseased skin. The doctors had to put expanders in her back to stretch her good skin, as they were running out of skin grafting locations.
Her Dad is single parenting and had to give up his job, as Ella Ray requires constant care. Concerned family and friends started up a trust fund to assist paying some of the costs associated with her treatments. BDS contributed to this trust fund for numerous years, so that we could take some of the pressure off the family as it gives them some reliable funding.
Stephanie has a very extreme case of epilepsy. Her seizures started when she was about 2 years old. Before long, she was experiencing many seizures each day, including multiple “grand mal” seizures. Over the course of the next couple of years, she received treatments through traditional medical methods.
As the situation was not significantly improving, the family investigated other forms of treatment as a last resort. They found a local doctor who was training in both traditional and homeopathic medical disciplines. He felt that he could help by using homeopathic treatments. Unfortunately, these types of treatments are not covered by the medical plan and the costs were beyond the family's means.
Better Days Society assisted in paying the substantial costs of this alternative treatment. This gave Stephanie and her family a chance at living some better days in her future.
Over our history, BDS has also assisted families in covering costs associated with: