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
Liberal MP says she's leaving politics over disrespectful dialogue, threats, misogyny
Liberal MP Pam Damoff says she won't run again in the next federal election, saying she has experienced misogyny, disrespectful dialogue in politics and threats to her life.
Concerns about Plexiglass prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall Plexiglass barriers.
Federal employees will be required to spend 3 days a week in the office
Starting in September, public servants in the core public administration will be required to work in the office a minimum of three days a week. The Treasury Board Secretariat says executives will need to be in the office four days per week.
OPP officer said 'someone's going to get hurt' before wrong-way Hwy. 401 crash
As multiple Durham police cruisers were chasing a robbery suspect on the wrong side of Highway 401 Monday night, an Ontario Provincial Police officer shared his concerns, telling a dispatcher, "Someone's going to get hurt."
Ont. woman who faked pregnancy to defraud doulas arrested again on similar charges
Victims of a Brantford, Ont., woman who was sentenced to house arrest earlier this year for defrauding and deceiving doulas say they’re not surprised she’s been apprehended again on similar charges.
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Göring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
Poilievre returns to House unrepentant for calling Trudeau 'wacko,' Speaker not resigning
An unrepentant Pierre Poilievre returned to the House of Commons on Wednesday to pepper the prime minister about his drug decriminalization policies after being booted the day prior for refusing to take back calling Justin Trudeau 'wacko' over his approach to the issue.
Construction begins on LGBTQ2S+ national monument in Ottawa
Shovels have hit the ground for constuction on Canada's LGBTQ2S+ national monument in Ottawa.
B.C. man awarded $5,000 in damages in first-of-it-kind intimate image case
In a first-of-its-kind case, a B.C. tribunal has ruled on a dispute involving the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, awarding damages and issuing orders that the photos be destroyed and taken offline.