“When I first found out I had to come to Vancouver, I felt terrified, and alone,” remembers mom Jocelyn Douglas. In 2020, while the pandemic was in full swing, doctors found an abnormality on her ultrasound. Jocelyn was rushed to BC Women’s Hospital to stay close to care.
Mason was born at 31 weeks, at only 833 grams. Because she had a safe place to stay at Ronald McDonald House, Jocelyn could be by his side and involved in his care, morning to night, every day he was in the NICU.
As Mason continues to grow, he continues to require surgeries in Vancouver – and now he too has found a place to stay strong at Ronald McDonald House. He loves the education program, the LEGO Lounge, and was thrilled to visit the Milestone Cupboard to pick out a toy after he was discharged from the hospital. Most importantly, he loves being around other kids all day – including his baby sister Amberleigh and his new Ronald McDonald House friends.
“Mason wouldn’t be flourishing as the happy person he is now if we couldn’t be here together or if we had to stay at a hotel,” says dad Kevin. “The joy he experiences here every day would be missing!”
For both Jocelyn and Kevin, the most important part of the House is the community it provides with other families who fully understand the challenges of being a medical parent. “We feel like we have family everywhere!” says Kevin.
