RMH

Twin sisters, Piper and Callysta Coffin, 11, are best friends. They like to horseback ride, swim and make melty beads crafts together. They even finish each other’s sentences. In July 2014, Piper was rushed to Toronto from her Winnipeg home when her liver unexpectedly failed, requiring immediate treatment. Though Piper’s mother, Cynthia, was by her side, the Coffin family was split in half when they needed each other most.

Piper was very ill. Born with alagille syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects how organs grow during fetal development, her liver had been operating at 20 per cent since birth, with reduced heart and kidney function. Though she’d been living relatively normally up to that point, her kidneys were beginning to fail and she needed a liver transplant.

For their first month in Toronto, Cynthia lived in Piper’s hospital room, not wanting to leave her side. Piper’s father, James, and Callysta flew in for a brief visit and stayed at Ronald McDonald House Toronto (RMH Toronto). They returned to Winnipeg, only to be called back when doctors feared Piper wouldn’t make it. From that point onward, James, Callysta and Cynthia called RMH Toronto “home.”

As soon as James and Callysta moved to Toronto, Piper made noticeable improvements.

“We noticed a huge difference when her dad and sister arrived,” says Cynthia. “She was much perkier and clearly loved having them around to take her mind off of being stuck in the hospital. Doctors told us that they always notice a positive impact when patients have their whole family there.”

Piper had a liver transplant shortly after their arrival and her parents took turns staying with her at the hospital. Callysta enrolled in the RMH Toronto School and quickly adapted to her new home.

“It was good for Callysta to meet other sick children and their siblings,” says Cynthia. “She’d never been around anyone who knew what it was like to grow up with a sick sister. My husband and I found the same thing. It’s incredibly comforting to be able to talk to parents who are going through similar situations.”

Piper moved to RMH Toronto when she was discharged from the hospital in September. Reunited, Piper and Callysta relished their time together and took advantage of the House’s many activities. They spent many hours making crafts, baking, woodworking and attending movie night at the RMH theatre. Being back with her family and in an environment where it wasn’t unusual to have a feeding tube or wheelchair, Piper’s spirits soared and her confidence grew.

At the end of November, the Coffin family went home to Winnipeg. Piper is responding well to her transplant and will return to Toronto for a follow-up procedure sometime this year. They may return to RMH Toronto, a place the Coffin family is extremely grateful for. If Piper’s health issues have taught them anything, it’s that families truly do heal better together. As Cynthia has learned, “Your home is where your family is.”