RMH

When Kimberley Glinton-Adderley speaks to other families at Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) Toronto, they often ask how it is that she can be such an upbeat person.

“I always tell them, I’m happy because I’m here to offer you hope. My son Thevano and I are living proof of the amazing things that can happen when you believe.”

In March 2015, Thevano, 5, began suffering from a series of debilitating headaches. After searching for the cause, she was fortunate to find a physician who helped make the diagnosis: a brain tumour.

Knowing the tumour could only be fully removed by doctors at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), a far distance from their home in Nassau, Bahamas, Kimberley put her faith in what turned out to be a series of unlikely “miracles.”

Working with a local doctor, she discovered an initiative at SickKids that brings children from around the world to Toronto for life-saving surgeries that aren’t available in their home countries. With a surgery date set and medical expenses covered, now Kimberley needed to find money to get to Canada.

By this point, Kimberley had been on leave from her job for four months in order to take care of Thevanno, but bills were piling up and money was running out. She went to the bank in search of a loan to buy their flights to Canada, but she was denied.

On her way out of the bank, she ran into a local man, who asked, “Why are you so depressed?”

“I need to take my child to Canada to save his life,” she replied.

In an act of incredible generosity, he offered to cover the cost of their flights.

Kimberley and Thevano were scheduled to arrive in Canada the next day, but they still needed to find a place to stay once they got to Canada. As a last resort, Kimberley visited a local social services office for help. She was turned away, told they were closing for the day and wouldn’t have time to complete her paperwork. Kimberley took back her forms and said to herself that when one door closes, a better one is about to open. As if on cue, her phone rang: there was a room available for her and Thevano at RMHC Toronto. Kimberley was ecstatic.

Kimberley and Thevano arrived safely in Toronto in early May. After facing such a difficult journey to get here, the welcome they received at the House felt like a heartfelt hug.

“RMHC Toronto isn’t just a place,” says Kimberley. “It’s a place where people care. And it’s not pretend – the staff and volunteers truly care. I know they care about our surroundings because they keep the House clean. I know they care about my child because they ask how he’s doing. That means so much.”

Just a month after their arrival, Thevano is now cancer-free. Doctors successfully removed the entire tumour and he won’t require any follow-up chemotherapy or radiation.

Needless to say, Kimberley can’t keep the smile off of her face.