Thursday, April 26, 2012

McHappy Day - in support of RMHC


McHappy Day


When Julien was born, at 36 weeks, his lungs didn't work properly - he was early, and they were not yet fully developed.  The pediatrician on call at the hospital hoped that within 24 hours, his body would compensate and things would progress. However, that didn't happen.  His condition actually worsened and he was transferred to CHEO.  On the way there, his lung collapsed. They were able to insert a chest tube and that helped but he was intubated to increase his oxygen levels.  Over the course of the next 10 days we spent many hours in hospital with him. Travelling back and forth from home or work - it was a very stressful time. For me, dealing with the hormones and emotions of being a new mom and also being seperated from my little one; for my husband - dealing with the emotions of being a new dad.  Living in Ottawa, we are fortunate that we were able to go back and forth from our house to hospital (20 -25 minutes each way) - but there are  many that are not. They live hours away, and money on hotels is often not possible. This is where Ronald McDonald House Charities come into play.


May 2nd is the 19th annual McHappy Day - please head over to your local McDonalds and buy a Happy Meal, Big Mac or hot McCaffe beverage to support this wonderful charity - McDonalds will donate $1.00 from each sale of these items.

McDonald’s® Canada community involvement efforts are yearlong. Since 2004, the company has raised more than $36 million for Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC) Canada by donating 10 cents from the sale of every Happy Meal. McDonald’s Canada covers all of RMHC’s administrative and operating costs, making it possible for 100 per cent of every directly donated dollar to go to Ronald McDonald Houses and their programs.

RMHC Canada is the national organization that supports Ronald McDonald Houses and Ronald McDonald Family Rooms across the country, which provides families of sick children a home-away-from-home or a place of peace and calm within a hospital.

Ronald McDonald Houses help give sick children what they need most – their families.


I am participating in the McHappy Day Blogger Program by ShesConnected. A donation in my name was made to Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada in exchange for my participation in this campaign. All opinions are honest and always my own*

11 comments:

  1. great post. sorry you had to go through that!!

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  2. Excellent post, and thanks for being part of the #McHappyDay stories

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  3. I always appreciate when a big company supports the demographic that supports them. Also in your darkest moments it's good to know you have somewhere you can turn.

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  4. We had a similar ordeal with our sons birth (13 weeks early) we are lucky to have the facilities needed right here in Ottawa but know if we did have to travel to a city like Toronto, RMHC has us supported. I've seen what they can do, it's amazing.

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  5. Thanks for sharing this. Ronald McDonald House is such an awesome charity. I'm thankful that I've never needed to call on them, but I love what they do.

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  6. This is a great cause, I know that some people have their issues with supporting it by eating "fast food" but, I don't think they realize the impact the Ronald McDonald house has on those who absolutely need it. Thanks for sharing this!

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  7. Thankyou so much for sharing your story! <3 <3

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  8. Wow, I didn't know any of this, thanks for sharing Ashley! I feel so blessed to live near CHEO, it's nice to know that it's only a short drive away.

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    1. Thanks Chris - there is actually a lot more to the story than that....but that's the gist of things. CHEO is amazing - and we are super lucky they are in our backyard

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