When their three-month-old son needed emergency brain surgery, Jessica and David Ellis suddenly found themselves far from home, facing the unimaginable. What they found at Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) Toronto was more than a place to stay — it was a lifeline.

Jessica Ellis knew something wasn’t right. 

In April 2024, her three-month-old son Drew was struggling to recover from what doctors believed was a simple virus. He was vomiting, irritable, and becoming increasingly unwell — but her concerns were brushed aside. Jessica’s instincts wouldn’t let up. 

Following a clinic visit filled with uncertainty, she and her husband David promptly took Drew to the emergency room in Sudbury, Ontario, where they lived at the time. Within a half hour, they received devastating news: fluid was building on Drew’s brain, and he required immediate surgical intervention. Jessica and her baby were rushed by air ambulance to The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto. There, doctors discovered a large cyst was blocking the normal flow of spinal fluid — a life-threatening condition known as hydrocephalus. 

David followed by car after making the necessary arrangements for their two-year-old son Dawson to stay with family so he could be with Jessica and Drew. 

“We stayed in the PICU all night,” Jessica recalls. “You’re not allowed to sleep in those rooms. We lost count of how many hours we were awake — but we couldn’t imagine leaving his side.” 

Drew underwent a five-hour brain surgery. It was just the beginning of what would become a long and uncertain journey. 

Far from home, and facing the unknown, the Ellis family needed more than medical care. They needed somewhere to stay. Somewhere to breathe. 

A social worker at SickKids told them about Ronald McDonald House Toronto — but there was a waitlist. So they booked a hotel for one night, just to shower and sleep. It cost $350. 

On their third night, the call came: a room had opened up at RMHC Toronto. 

“We were so relieved,” says Jessica. “As soon as we walked in, we felt at home. We knew right away that Dawson could be with us too, and that changed everything.” 

They had family bring their toddler to Toronto immediately. Dawson had never spent a night apart from his parents before, and the separation had been heartbreaking. Being at RMHC Toronto gave Dawson the normalcy of seeing both his parents again.  

Day by day, the House helped them find their footing. 

Jessica and David developed a routine. One parent would be at the hospital with Drew while the other stayed at RMHC Toronto with Dawson. They’d meet each afternoon for a quick hand-off. Between medical updates, emotional strain, and the constant back-and-forth, the House became their anchor. 

For Dawson, the playroom was a wonderland. He spent hours riding toy cars, watching the fish in the aquarium — especially his favourite, “Big Mac” — and making fast friends with other children. 

“It was amazing to see Dawson smiling and playing, even when everything else felt so uncertain,” Jessica says. 

David, too, found unexpected connection. He bonded with another dad at the House whose child was also in the hospital. The two took their older kids on small outings — to the Hockey Hall of Fame, to Ripley’s Aquarium — giving them moments of joy in the midst of it all. 

“That was so good for my husband,” says Jessica. “It helped him process everything, to talk to someone going through the same thing.” 

RMHC Toronto gave the Ellis family more than a roof over their heads. It gave them strength. 

Meals, laundry, space to rest — all the practical supports mattered. But it was the intangible ones that meant the most: community, compassion, and care. 

Jessica reflects: “Being in pure survival mode, the House made it possible for us to care for ourselves, each other, and for our families and close friends to also come and support us.” 

It also made the crisis financially manageable. A month in Toronto can cost families up to $20,000 — a staggering burden when a child’s life is on the line. RMHC Toronto lifted that weight. 

On McHappy Day, the power of community hit home. 

Friends, family, and even people they hadn’t spoken to in years reached out, donating in honour of Drew. Jessica’s father’s entire firehall crew ordered McDonald’s and ate together in solidarity. 

“It was overwhelming,” Jessica says. “McHappy Day will always be special to us.” 

Today, Drew is thriving. He has a shunt to help drain spinal fluid and will need ongoing monitoring, but he’s hitting all his milestones — and showing no signs of long-term challenges. 

Leaving the House was bittersweet. The family has since moved to Wasaga Beach to be closer to loved ones and Drew’s medical team. But their experience at RMHC Toronto remains close to their hearts — and continues to shape their commitment to giving back. 

“Looking back, it’s easy to say we made it through,” Jessica says. “But when you’re in it, it’s all-consuming. “We’re so grateful to RMHC Toronto for allowing us to look back on such a challenging time and remember moments of happiness, comfort and connection while giving our family a new sense of purpose and healing in sharing our story.”