Story
“We were absolutely devastated.”
That’s how Kyra de Haas describes the moment her world shifted — when prenatal testing revealed her unborn daughter, Navy, had a congenital heart defect (CHD). She and her husband Steven had never even heard of CHD before, let alone understood what it would mean for their family of five.
Suddenly, life in Stayner, a small community in central Ontario, became a blur of medical appointments and long drives to Toronto. There were fetal echocardiograms, hospital tours, surgical consultations — all while preparing for the birth of a baby who would need open-heart surgery before she could even learn to crawl.
With only 16 children’s hospitals in Canada, families like the de Haases must travel long distances for life-saving care. And with two in three Canadian families facing the same challenge, the emotional, logistical, and financial toll can be staggering. In Toronto alone, being by a sick child’s side during the first month of treatment can cost a family as much as $24,500 — nearly a third of the average Ontario household’s annual disposable income.
But numbers don’t tell the whole story. “We had no idea what to expect,” Kyra says. “Everything felt uncertain.”
When Navy was born at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, she was whisked immediately to SickKids for specialized cardiac care. The plan was to take her home and monitor her closely until surgery. But with each passing week — and every anxious checkup — Kyra and Steven lived in fear that something could change. They even kept their two older children home from school in an effort to protect their newborn from seasonal illness.
Then came another setback. In December, at just four months old, Navy developed pneumonia. Her surgery was postponed, and the family had to wait another month, holding their breath, doing everything possible to keep her well. “We were devastated again,” Kyra recalls. “But we knew it was necessary.”
When the day of surgery finally came, fear mingled with relief. At last, it was Navy’s turn. But the thought of being far from her while she recovered was unbearable.
That’s when Ronald McDonald House Toronto stepped in.
Steven had heard of the House through his work at Saputo Inc., a proud contributor to Ronald McDonald House. What he didn’t expect was how deeply it would impact their family.
“We were SO thankful,” says Kyra. “We had somewhere to stay and be close to our girl. We were a short walk away and could see her anytime.”
For the de Haases, the House became more than just accommodation. Steven remembers the feeling of safety and calm that surprised him as soon as he arrived. “I think it was built in a way that gave you what you needed — privacy if you wanted it, connection if you wanted it. Even though I know it was full, it never felt crowded.”
The small details made a difference: fridges stocked with drinks and snacks, hot meals prepared by volunteers, and the comfort of a clean, quiet room at the end of a long day. “Housing in Toronto is so expensive, and so is food,” Steven explains. “Having that support meant we could just focus on Navy instead of worrying about how we were going to manage everything else.”
Kyra often stayed bedside with Navy, but she remembers the one night she joined Steven at the House while their daughter was still in the ICU. “It was rough emotionally, but it was also such a gift to have one full night of rest — to breathe and gather the strength we needed for her recovery.”
Ronald McDonald House Toronto also extended their support within the walls of the hospital itself. The Ronald McDonald House Family Room at SickKids offered a much-needed oasis just steps away from Navy’s care team. “It’s kind of like a smaller version of the House — right there in the hospital,” Steven says. “It gave us a comfortable place to sit, to regroup, and just feel normal for a few minutes in the middle of everything.”
Even after Navy’s successful surgery, the support didn’t end. “When she was finally released, it was late in the day. We weren’t comfortable making the long drive home so soon after surgery,” Kyra recalls. “Then something amazing happened — the staff at Ronald McDonald House extended our stay for one more night. We were so grateful. It meant everything to us.”
Today, Navy is three years old — a bright, creative little girl who loves crafts, painting, colouring, and playing doctor with her siblings Nora and Niall. Because of everything she’s been through, she’s calm and resilient even during routine medical appointments. “She just takes it all in stride,” Kyra says proudly. “The doctors and dentists are always so surprised by her bravery.”
Because of everything she’s been through, Navy shows resilience well beyond her years. That strength has also shaped the way her parents see the world — and the support they received along the way. Steven says one of the biggest lessons he carries from their time at Ronald McDonald House Toronto is about acceptance: “At first I hesitated to stay, because I thought maybe we’d be taking it away from someone else. But it’s not about income or status. It’s about need. And without it, we would have been out thousands of dollars. Families shouldn’t be too proud to accept this support. It’s there because it makes all the difference.”
Kyra and Steven still share their story often — with friends, with coworkers, with other parents who suddenly find themselves navigating the unknown. “We speak about Ronald McDonald House Toronto to everyone we know,” Kyra says. “It’s such a wonderful resource, and we are so grateful for our experience.”
Families like the de Haases remind us what it means to show up for one another. In their hardest moments, they found more than accommodation. They found support. They found understanding. They found a home.
“Every family facing such serious medical issues with their child deserves to have the kind of support we had,” Kyra says. “It truly makes all the difference.”
How You Can Help
Your support makes stories like the de Haas family’s possible. With your generosity, Ronald McDonald House Toronto can continue to provide families with a place to stay, meals to share, and the comfort of being together when it matters most.