The Mower Family

Meet Diana, Brad, Lauryn & Emma

In October 2023, our family began a challenging medical journey - our 15-year-old daughter Emma underwent scoliosis corrective spinal fusion surgery.

Hometown Fort Erie

Days 44

Service Used Hamilton House

Our Story

In October 2023, our family began a challenging medical journey - our 15-year-old daughter Emma had scoliosis corrective spinal fusion surgery at the Shriners Hospital for Children in Montreal.

Due to Covid-related backlogs at McMaster, we had to travel out of province for this procedure. After returning home, Emma's recovery took a devastating turn. She couldn't eat, became increasingly weak, and lost 20 pounds in just eight weeks. Local emergency rooms couldn't diagnose her worsening gastric symptoms.

On November 30th, the Montreal Sick Kids Hospital diagnosed Emma with SMA Syndrome, a rare and life-threatening post-op complication that cuts off blood supply to the small intestine. Emma was put on a Nasojejunal feeding tube and faced a three-month hospital stay. I felt utterly lost and alone. Desperate to be closer to home, I requested a medical transfer to McMaster Hospital once Emma was stable.

After two weeks in Montreal, we were finally transported to McMaster. Exhausted from weeks of sleeping on hospital cots, I was offered a room at Ronald McDonald House Charitie South Central Ontario (RMHC®SCO) by a social worker. The relief was immediate. The staff welcomed us warmly, giving us a tour and showing us to our room. After weeks of hospital showers and cots, this room felt like a sanctuary and immediately removed the exhaustion I felt. The comfort of having a warm breakfast before heading to the hospital and a hot dinner waiting for us in the evening was beyond words.

The support from RMHC®SCO truly made a difference in my energy and focus to be a good support system to my sick daughter. Our stay overlapped Christmas, and the staff created a winter wonderland, offering gifts and a delicious turkey dinner. We did not expect any extras like this. When returning to our room on Christmas Eve, there was a box of Christmas cookies along with gift cards and a personal note with Christmas wishes. It made the holiday feel special despite our circumstances; the House really felt like a home away from home.
The Mowers Family

We stayed four weeks, returning in March for another three weeks. Emma's weight was restored, but she needed further treatment for stomach paralysis. Ronald McDonald House welcomed us back with open arms. During this stay, I was surprised and grateful to win a reflexology treatment, which provided much-needed stress relief. It helped my tired feet walking back and forth from the hospital daily. Once again, our stay fell onto another special holiday, Easter. Of course, the wonderful staff left surprises outside our door as though we had a visit from the Easter bunny.

Our family truly cannot express enough gratitude for Ronald McDonald House Charities South Central Ontario. From the House amenities to the hospital Family Rooms with the kindest volunteers, the unwavering support of RMHC®SCO made an unimaginable time bearable. Once Emma became strong enough, she was allowed to leave her hospital room for a couple hours every few days where she took escape to the Ronald McDonald House and relaxed in our room, used our shower to feel some sort of normalcy outside the hospital walls. She even enjoyed the specially prepared dinners. After a total of 60 nights in the hospital, RMHC®SCO and its supporters eased our stress and positively impacted our lives during Emma's medical emergency.

The donations that keep this charity going truly make a difference. They made a difference for us. Please consider supporting Ronald McDonald House so they can continue to be a home away from home for families like ours.