We were first time parents to a two-year-old who was just diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. We were lost, desperate and shocked. You can’t understand the gravity of something like this until you are in the moment. 

We felt very alone and scared, but things got a little less lonely during one of our stays at Sick Kids when a case worker from Chai Lifeline Canada came to visit. He had heard about us from another family whose child was at the hospital.

That first visit was a literal lifeline for our family. Every time we were at the hospital for treatment, someone from Chai Lifeline was there to say hi and bring treats for our daughter. During those long hospital appointments, when you don’t even have time to use the toilet, some great company and snacks make a huge difference.

That’s not all that Chai Lifeline did. They provided a volunteer who came to our house weekly to spend time with our daughter who could have limited interactions outside the family because of her weakened immune system. Hearing our daughter connect, laugh, and be happy made our hearts heal a little bit more.

They also made sure there was home cooked meals waiting for us at the end of treatment days. It’s little touches like this that make you feel connected and part of a community that is looking out for you. 

Thanks to Chai Lifeline, our daughter remembers fun and exciting memories from her time in treatment, not the scary, hard parts. I am not sure we would have made it through this time of crisis as whole as we did without Chai Lifeline.”