Last April, our lives changed forever when my 10-year-old daughter Maggie had a fall on the ski hill. She had intense pain in her leg, so we took her to the emergency room. That’s where we learned that it was not your typical injury – she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, or bone cancer, in her leg. Within days, Maggie, my husband Landon and I were travelling from our home in Kelowna to Vancouver to begin treatment.

In those scary first days, the three of us were sharing a pullout bed in a family member’s apartment, but we knew we needed a more permanent place to call home for the months to come. That’s when we found out that there was a room for us at RMH BC, and as soon as we took a tour of the House, we knew that this is where we had to be.

From the beautiful architecture to the helpfulness of the staff, we felt at home within a week. I remember Maggie said to me, “Mom, this place is like Disneyland for kids!”

As Maggie began treatment, we were facing a lot of unknowns, and an onslaught of information. Together with Maggie, we spent the summer researching all the options for her to have an active future, and eventually we decided on a unique amputation procedure called rotation plasty, which in the future will allow for a lot more of the active things she loves to do like biking, skiing and skateboarding.

Throughout all the difficult decisions we had to make, and tough days of treatment, our room at RMH BC has been our nest! It’s a safe and comfortable place to rest and feel ready for the next day. It takes everything, all our strength, to make sense of the changes that are happening to Maggie’s future, and this home away from home has taken care of us and given us the ability to focus on her treatment.

And you know that RMH BC is so much more than just a place to stay – it makes so many precious moments possible for our family every day. Moments like seeing Maggie playing outside with other kids, or attending a friend’s birthday party, like she would back home in our neighbourhood. Moments like eating a home-cooked dinner together or enjoying mother-daughter time in the arts and crafts room. Moments like being able to take a break as a parent through the massage therapy program.

After experiencing it for ourselves, we know that the donations that come into RMH BC from so many generous donors go a long way. If we had not had the resource of RMH BC, we don’t know how we would have managed financially. Here at the House, we are able to give and get support from people who are all facing struggles, and we’ve made some lifelong friendships. The Programs, from Art to Music to Massage Therapy have all helped us to unwind and feel some normalcy as we face months away from our home. The donations you give are truly life-changing!

– Amy, Landon and Maggie Bradshaw