No child should be in the Hospital, much less during the Holidays. Thanks to you, families of sick children will receive the greatest gift of all: hope that their child will have a healthy future. 

Thank you for your generosity! 

Support the Children's families

Thinking back on the journey of our son, Kana Austin, I find it hard to hold back my emotions. He was so tiny at birth, almost transparent. We could see the blood flowing through his little veins. 

His battle started early, right from the 24th week of pregnancy. That day, my wife Francine experienced excruciating pain. I felt helpless, fearing the worst for her and our child. Barely halfway through the pregnancy, an emergency cesarean was urgently needed. 

From the moment he was born, Kana Austin was connected to all kinds of impressive machines that flashed and emitted constant alarms.  

It was all very frightening, but at the same time, I was reassured.  

They explained to me what was happening. I heard them, but I couldn’t process all the information. I was worried about my wife, who was also hospitalized, and about our three other children who were at home with our friends. 

We knew that Kana Austin was in good hands, but we were not yet out of the woods.  

285 days passed from the moment our little baby entered the NICU at The Children’s until the day he was discharged from the Hospital. 

Imagine that.

Ten months of roller coaster rides. Hours of anguish, discouragement, and pain, but also beautiful moments filled with intense joy, hope, solidarity, and deep humanity.  

We were able to get through all of this thanks to the extraordinary care provided to Kana Austin by The Children’s, and thanks to your support. 

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All these adrenaline rushes, shattered hopes, financial stress, and the back and forth between the Hospital, school and home took a toll on our energy and our morale. 

We were of course offered psychological support, but it was the little gestures from the doctors, nurses and the support staff that touched us the most. The small chocolates, the notes, and the words of encouragement; it all did us so much good. Being invited to accompany a nurse for a walk during her coffee break speaks volumes about the commitment and empathy of the people working at The Children’s. 

We were at his bedside every day. We were exhausted. Our savings were too. 

I started by using my vacation days, and my floating holidays, and in the end, all our savings were gone. Fortunately, you were there. 

Thanks to your donations, we received meal vouchers and parking passes. You gave our family peace of mind, allowing us to focus on what’s most important: the health of our child. It might seem like a small thing to you, but if you knew how much of a burden that lifted. Thank you for your support. 

Days turned into weeks, then months; our hopes were dwindling. With each new complication, and each new challenge, staying optimistic was almost impossible. But we knew that generous people like you were behind us. That gave us the courage to continue the fight. 

One day, the care team presented us with the facts. The last option to save Kana Austin’s life was a tracheotomy (creating an opening in the larynx) because the breathing machine was no longer enough for him. The surgery was the right thing to do. 

We don’t know what the future holds for him and what other impact his extreme prematurity will have on his development, but we are infinitely grateful. 

Your donations allow The Children’s to provide the best possible care to young patients in an environment that takes care of both the sick child and their entire family. 

Thank you for being so generous. With your support, we have never felt abandoned. 

I sincerely hope that you will donate again to help families like ours. 

Marcial, Kana Austin's father.