Lia Dore was born at Health Sciences North on Nov. 15. She was a month premature. Weighing just three pounds, 14 ounces, the tiny infant spent two weeks in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Her mom, Tina Dore, also spent the entire two weeks in hospital, first in the labour delivery unit and then in the NICU's care by parent room.
She and her husband, Joe, also have an older child, Landon, who's almost five.
While Lia and Tina were still at the hospital, the family was able to make use of the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) Toronto Family Room at Health Sciences North to spend some quality time together.
“I think it's amazing,” Dore said. “I didn't even know it was there. I had written in their guest book that you don't realize you need a room like that until you need a room like that.
“For us, it was just amazing to have that available to us.”
The room, located near NEO Kids pediatrics and NICU, supports the parents of seriously ill children being treated at HSN.
It provides a welcoming and comforting environment where families can recharge, away from the clinical environment of their child's room. The room features a stocked kitchenette, fireplace, TVs, recliners and sofas so family members can rest.
It is also staffed by volunteers with RMHC Toronto seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. There's also respite rooms available for overnight use.
Dore said her son made use of the child friendly snacks, toys and movies.
“He could come in and see his little sister for a couple of minutes at a time, and then we would head over to the Ronald McDonald Room and have a little bit of quality time with him before he went home with dad,” she said.
The volunteers with the room even did her laundry for her at one point when she ran out of clean clothes and her husband couldn't get to the hospital, Dore said.
The RMHC Toronto Family Room at Health Sciences North recently celebrated its first birthday. The hospital said the room has supported 469 families since it opened in late 2016.
“Thank you to everyone in the Sudbury area who has contributed to the success of our first year at HSN,” said Sally Ginter with RMHS Toronto, in the press release.
“We're so grateful to the donors and volunteers who make it possible for us to be there for families in crisis.”
Those interested in donating to the RMHC Toronto Family Room at Health Sciences North can do so here.
Click on the video below to see a tour of the room when it opened last year.
