At one point we thought we would have to sleep in our car as only one parent was allowed in the hospital with him at a time.
Oliver was diagnosed with high-risk AML Leukemia in November 2018. Acute myeloid leukemia is a condition that originates in bone marrow and leads to abnormal cell growth that prevents healthy cells from developing. This condition can quickly spread to other parts of the body.
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In April 2019, to help treat this condition, Oliver received a bone marrow transplant at SickKids in Toronto
In February of the following year, right in the beginning of the COVID pandemic, Oliver suffered a relapse. He required a second bone marrow transplant, which meant that he had to be hospitalized and that his family had to relocate near SickKids once again.
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The pandemic made this already unbearable situation even more complicated and frustrating - the Ronald McDonald House was forced to close to prevent the spread of COVID to families due to the communal setup. Additionally, to keep patients safe, SickKids introduced visiting limitations to one parent per patient room. Consequently, Oliver’s family was put in a difficult situation where they had no place to stay and worried that they might have to live in their car during Oliver’s treatment.
At one point we thought we would have to sleep in our car as only one parent was allowed in the hospital with him at a time.
- Oliver’s Parents
Fortunately, StayWell was introduced to the family - a charitable housing service that is set up to help patients in need find accommodation. A few days after they reached out to StayWell, they had an apartment set up merely minutes away from SickKids:
Having someone find us an apartment at a reduced rate took away some of the stress in an already super stressful situation.
- Emily Rose, Oliver’s Mother
StayWell is delighted to have helped Oliver and his family during his time of need and is dedicated to helping as many families as possible.
