Free lodging near Montreal Children's Hospital for parents of sick kids unveiled in memory of young cancer patient
The Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation has opened a residence for out-of-town parents whose children are receiving long-term treatment.
The Kat Demes Pavillion was officially unveiled on Tuesday, named for a patient at the Children's Hospital who died of a brain tumour called diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma at just five years old.
Catherine "Kat" Demes' family has since raised $1 million for cancer research and has pledged to raise a further $2 million for the new six-unit residence.
"It's amazing. It's a very emotional day for me and my family. We're proud -- my daughter's name is up there on the sign. But at the same time, we're happy to be able to help families in the future," Kat's mother, Dina Bourdakos, told reporters.
Located on Boulevard De Maisonneuve in N.D.G., families can stay at the pavilion for days, weeks or even months, depending on their child's treatment requirements.
"I had to come to the hospital with Kat for 31 straight days for radiation. I live in Laval, it wasn't a problem. Yes, I stopped working, but at least we didn't have to think about hotels and food and board and all that stuff," said Bourdakos. "Helping the families be near their children, it takes a whole load off their shoulders and [it's] one less thing for them to worry about."
It's a first-of-its-kind project in Quebec, according to the foundation, and hundreds of families are expected to stay there every year.
The rooms will be available as early as this spring.
More information about the fundraiser can be found here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
An apartment block collapses in a Russian border city after heavy shelling, injuring over a dozen
An apartment block partially collapsed in the Russian border city of Belgorod on Sunday, leaving at least 19 injured. Officials blamed Ukrainian shelling and said there were also likely deaths.
Swiss fans get ready to welcome Eurovision winner Nemo back home
Swiss Eurovision fans were getting ready Sunday to give a hero's welcome to singer Nemo, who won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest with "The Code," an operatic pop-rap ode to the singer’s journey toward embracing a nongender identity.
Michael Cohen: A challenging star witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial
He once said he would take a bullet for Donald Trump. Now Michael Cohen is prosecutors' biggest piece of legal ammunition in the former president's hush money trial.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
'It was violent': Police tear down U of A pro-Palestinian encampment Saturday morning
Multiple people at the protest camp torn down at the University of Alberta campus Saturday say police's actions against protesters were "violent" and "disproportionate."
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
Adopted daughter in the Netherlands reunited with sister in Montreal and mother in Colombia, 40 years later
Two daughters and a mother were reunited online 40 years later thanks to a DNA kit and a Zoom connection despite living on three separate continents and speaking different languages.
As Israel pushes deeper into Rafah, Hamas regroups elsewhere in ungoverned Gaza
Israeli forces were battling Palestinian militants across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, including in parts of the devastated north that the military said it had cleared months ago, where Hamas has exploited a security vacuum to regroup.