Bristol's Story

After our daughter, Bristol, was born in June, we suspected she might have some sort of vision problem because she couldn’t focus her eyes. She would smile when she heard our voices, but not look at our faces.

On September 16, we got the diagnosis. Bristol had large tumours in both her eyes and we needed to travel to Toronto from our home in Alberta for lifesaving treatment for our little girl. Thankfully, there was a room waiting for us at Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) Toronto when we arrived in the big city on September 19.

RMHC Toronto became our home for 93 days as Bristol went through four rounds of chemotherapy, laser therapy and cryotherapy to beat back the tumours. As Bristol’s tumours started to shrink, the House became the place where she started to see things for the first time.

Bristol has a special love for music, so we would always take her to karaoke night at the House. We knew she was starting to get her eyesight back when she began following the lights of the disco ball dancing around the room.

We would also visit the therapy dogs so Bristol could feel something different. Soon, we knew she was seeing the dogs as well.

The other families, the staff, the volunteers – they all have friendly faces. We’re so grateful to the people who donate to the House. Bristol will need to be monitored closely for the next several years and we have to come back to Toronto every four weeks for examinations. She may need further treatment. That means more stays at the House.

Your donations mean the House will continue to be there for us in the years to come. Because of you, we won’t have to worry about a place to stay or about the financial burden with everything else that Bristol is going through.

Bristol is six months old now and starting to babble up a storm. We once worried she would never be able to see us. Now she reaches out to touch our faces and smiles at us. It’s just the best feeling.

Thank you for helping Bristol – and the two of us – smile.