Prince Albert,
Saskatchewan
22 Nights Stayed
Our son, Alexander’s story began in Prince Albert, SK. What we expected to be an uneventful and joyful delivery quickly turned into an emergency. I needed an unexpected c-section, and shortly after he was born, we learned he had pneumothorax. Within hours, he was transported by ambulance to the NICU at Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon and I wasn’t able to even see him until the next day.
Seeing our newborn surrounded by medical equipment was overwhelming. He needed a chest tube placed, and during his time in the NICU, the doctors also discovered he had laryngomalacia- a condition that causes a floppy vocal corn. Thankfully, his laryngomalacia resolved on it’s own by the time he was one year old. We ended up staying for two weeks before he was able to be discharged. Since we are from Prince Albert, I was worried about finding and affording a place to stay for an extended period. Before I was discharged myself, I was told about Ronald McDonald House, so I called them and they were able to get me a room for the following day. It was such a relief knowing I had somewhere to stay in such a stressful situation, and it was great being so close to the hospital especially since I was still recovering from my c-section.
We thought the hardest part was over, but once we brought him home and he had his first pediatrician check-up, a heart murmur was detected. We were referred to the cardiology team at Jim Pattison’s Children’s Hospital, where we learned Alex has an atrial septal defect that would eventually require surgery. It wasn’t affecting his daily life as the hole wasn’t too large, but it was still something that needed to be done so it didn’t affect him later in life.
Over the years, we made many trips back and forth for appointments, tests, and follow-ups. Thankfully, we were able to stay at Ronald McDonald House each time since usually his appointments were early in the morning. In the fall of 2024, Alex finally had his surgery to close the hole in his heart. He had to stay overnight in the hospital, so we ended up staying at Ronald McDonald House for a few nights again.
Being able to stay at Ronald McDonald House made an incredible difference for our family. Instead of worrying about where we would sleep or how we would manage the logistics of being away from home, we were able to focus on what truly mattered. They gave us more than just a place to stay, it gave us comfort during some of the most stressful days of our lives. It gave us warmth, meals, and a community of families who understood what we were going through. Most importantly, it allowed us to stay close to Alex while he received the care he needed. We are forever grateful to all the doctors and nurses who cared for him, and for the Ronald McDonald House and all their amazing staff who made us feel so welcomed and at home.
