Melville,
Saskatchewan
28 Nights
Stayed
Our journey began on October 8, 2025, when Sophie was born at Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon. Sophie was immediately admitted to the NICU, where she was diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot with an absent pulmonary valve. It was later confirmed that Sophie also has 22q11.2 microdeletion syndrome.
When Sophie was six days old, she underwent open-heart surgery at Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton. Our family spent 12 nights at the Edmonton Ronald McDonald House.
Following her surgery, Sophie was transferred back to Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital, where our family spent an additional 26 nights at the Saskatoon Ronald McDonald House.
The staff and volunteers went above and beyond to ensure we felt supported and cared for throughout our stay. The home for dinner meals prepared by volunteers were incredibly generous and deeply appreciated. After long days at the hospital, it meant so much to return to a warm, ready meal.
Ronald McDonald House is far more than a place to stay — it is a community. Families from different cities and provinces come together there to support one another during some of life’s most challenging moments. Being surrounded by others who understood our experience brought us comfort and strength.
