| Click here to view this as html |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| THE OKAY BOX |
Drew and Kaitlin Graham have two children, Oliver and Jax. At the time Oliver was diagnosed with cancer, he was only 18 months old, and Jax was almost three.
During Oliver’s two-year fight with Cancer, Drew realized that before Oliver was diagnosed, he was missing out on both of his boys' lives. Drew credits the Ronald McDonald House Atlantic in Halifax for enabling his family to stay together and nurture their family unit at a difficult time. Not only were they able to take care of Oliver in the hospital each day, they were able to make sure Jax wasn’t left behind.
“When a child is going through chemotherapy, you treat him like glass, terrified of every illness or injury,” says Drew. “Every day at the hospital, all of our attention had to be on Oliver. Jax would spend each day playing, but only what Oliver was able to play and only with the utmost care, which is hard for a three-year old.”
However, in the evening, when the Grahams returned to the Ronald McDonald House, all of that changed. Drew describes the House as “truly a home” — a place where Jax could play with the other kids and volunteers, and a place for him and his wife to relax and ease their worries. Drew could just talk with Jax and watch movies — the House gave Drew time to be with both children — to make things okay for Oliver and for Jax.
When Oliver passed away, the Grahams felt that while they could never repay the Ronald McDonald House, they could pay it forward. They started a Treat Box at the IWK Hospital for kids on the Oncology floor after they’d been through an unpleasant procedure. The nurses called it the “Okay Box” because Oliver said ‘Okay’ every time he had to go through one of those same procedures. The Grahams love the name too, because the support and strength they gained at the Ronald McDonald House to be the best parents they could to both Oliver and Jax, helped them say ‘Okay’ too.
|
|
DONATE TODAY TO MAKE THINGS "OKAY" |
| FOR MORE FAMILIES, LIKE THE GRAHAMS, |
| DURING THEIR TIME OF NEED. |
|
|
|
 |
You received this email because you have supported Ronald McDonald House Charities through an online donation and/or joined our Friends of RMHC online community. Thank you for staying connected to our mission by receiving periodic updates on our programs; you can see the impact your support makes in helping children in need. Your information will be used only for RMHC communication purposes and will not be shared with any third parties.
This email is sent directly from Ronald McDonald House Charities and includes secure links to our website. However, if you want extra peace of mind that your donation dollars are going to the right place, link through www.rmhc.org.
© 2011 McDonald’s. The following trademarks used herein are owned by McDonald's Corporation and its affiliates; McDonald's, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Ronald McDonald House Charities Logo, RMHC, Ronald McDonald House, Ronald McDonald Family Room, and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile.
|
|
|