108 Nights of Healing Power
As the rest of the moms on her block were helping their children put on costumes, transforming their little ones into superheroes or fairy princesses for a night of trick-or-treating, Jill Wallace was wishing she possessed super-human powers or magic of her own. She had just learned the terrifying news that her 3-year-old daughter, Evan, had leukemia, and she was trying to figure out how to share it with her family.
Jill wished that with the wave of a wand she could make it disappear — that just as she had always been able to do, she could make it all better for her brave daughter. But treating Evan's leukemia required some of the best doctors in one of the best hospitals in Canada.
So Jill and Evan traveled outside of their community to Edmonton and then to Calgary for intensive chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant. Upon the family's arrival, they checked in to the Ronald McDonald House Southern Alberta.
Not Alone
At the House, the Wallace family received so much more than a roof over their heads, keeping them close to the hospital and Evan. Within the House were 22 other family suites — 22 other families going through trials similar to what the Wallaces were facing. They weren't alone. Alongside 22 other children and families offering support and strength, Evan fought with all her might.
"I had heard of Ronald McDonald Houses before, but I didn't really know what they were or how they helped or how much my family would need one," Jill says. "Nobody can relate to what you're going through quite like another family staying at the House. We all just came together and supported each other in every way possible. It was amazing."
After Evan's transplant, Jill and Evan spent the majority of their time in the House "just healing." Most days, Evan could be found in the craft room gluing, coloring and glittering projects that she was proud of. Evan and Jill also embraced spending free time with all the other families at the House, baking, enjoying volunteer-prepared meals, sharing stories and getting better together.
Time spent at the House, especially weekends when Evan's dad and brothers came to visit, played a vital role in her recovery.
"Had we not been able to spend time together as a family at the Ronald McDonald House, I'm not sure where we'd be," Jill says. "The House helped Evan, me and my whole family heal."
For a total of 108 nights, Jill found a real kind of magic inside the walls of the House. It was the kind of power that RMHC is known for — healing power that comes from a network of support and the gift of togetherness when it's needed most.
How Is Evan Today?
Evan is about to turn 5 and has been in remission for seven months. Always with a smile on her face, she is learning how to skate and is enrolled in playschool.
"She's enjoying play dates and having a normal life for the first time in a long time," Jill says. "I wish I could see life from her perspective, because everything she does has so much excitement and joy with it."
Questions about ways to give through a planned gift?
Contact Lacee O’Brien at 630-623-7048 or lacee.obrien@us.mcd.com