Last Donation Day of 2020!

Hi all!

A quick post to remind everyone that today is the last day of 2020 to donate to a charitable cause and get a tax receipt. A few of you amazing people have contacted me this week saying you'd like to make a donation in Ollie's honour and where do we want to send it. 

Here is a list if you happen to be a person who makes a final year-end donation and would like to help other cancer families like ours in future:

- Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario (POGO) - these little known folks have been hugely helpful to us. Not only do they have an Interlink Nurse in each Children's hospital in Ontario to help cancer families with navigating EI, LTD, school for your sick kid, applying for grants and funding from other organizations, but they also offer stipends to help you pay for food when you're in hospital with your kid and money to help pay for accommodations when you have to travel far for treatment. They were a huge help financially when we were in Toronto for treatment. 

- Kids Kicking Cancer - I've raved about this martial arts program in this blog because they have been instrumental in helping Ollie get his strength and range of motion back since stem cell transplant. It's also helping him with discipline and focus. The senseis are incredibly kind and didn't hesitate to teach Ollie and Abby privately even though they'd never taught a bond child before. Ollie adores this program. It's also based out of London, Ontario, so close to my hometown.

- Make A Wish Canada - Make A Wish grants a wish to crucially ill kids so that they have something to look forward to. They are granting Ollie a wish in January 2021. He's changed his Wish from a trip due to COVID as we know traveling won't be possible this year between COVID and him needing all of his vaccinations again. Abby participated in the MAW Campout this summer and refused a bit of money for them. We'll reveal the big wish in January, but would like to send them a little more love as they have been terrific about granting his Wish despite the constraints of COVID.

- CHEO - No explanation really needed here. The Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario and its team are phenomenal and not only diagnosed Ollie within 30 days, but started his treatment a week later and liaised constantly with Sick Kids when we were there for stem cell transplant. We cannot say enough about this amazing team. 

- Sick Kids Hospital - Again little explanation needed. The hospital in Toronto where Ollie was treated for relapse and stem cell transplant. A dedicated team of professionals doing some of the hardest work in childhood cancer treatment and research in Canada. 

- Candlelighters Ottawa - We've given them a lot of love this year thanks to help from the Ollie's Pizza from Gabriel Pizza because they deserve it. Small but mighty not-for-profit that gives sick kids Ipads to communicate with loved ones, pays for your monthly parking pass at hospital (normally $14/day to park!), send packages with books on cancer, gift cards for groceries and gas, runs therapy groups, scholarships for childhood cancer survivors, etc. 

- Katelyn Bedard Bone Marrow Association - A small but effective charity based out of Windsor, Ontario, these generous people sent us a cheque to help with expenses related to Ollie's Stem Cell Transplant in Toronto. They also sponsor scholarships and bone marrow transplant research.

- Phoebe Rose Rocks Foundation - these kind folks try to "make it okay" for families like ours who have to travel far away from home to get a stem cell transplant as their little angel did. They sent a lovely package of gift cards to help with the additional costs of being away for transplant. They also fund research like the Terry Fox PROFYLE study at CHEO that enabled us to have Ollie participate in genetic testing to be sure this is not something Abby needs to be concerned about in future. 

- Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) - From moment one when we needed help with Ollie's blindness, these folks were there. From referring us to other government services like Vision Loss Rehab Ontario and telling us about their many programs such as the Buddy Dog Program, they've shown us that so many resources exist to make life easier for blind and low vision people. Ollie is eagerly awaiting his Buddy Dog that we hope will be possible in 2021.

- Canadian Blood Services - Can't donate blood or don't qualify to be a potential donor for stem cells? You can still donate funds to Canadian Blood Services and help to bring blood products and stem cells to families like ours.

We are also grateful for cancer research being done in adult organizations, but wanted to give the love to those working with kids as only 4% of all dollars given to larger organizations like the Canadian Cancer Society go towards Childhood Cancer. 

As you can see, we have been helped by so many incredible organizations this year and are so grateful. Canada is a country that relies on charitable organizations to support the social safety network that we all can count on when needed. This year we have learned better than most the need for these charities. Please be generous if you are able. We never know when we'll need the help.