For more than four months, five-year-old Aikan Sadaat’s days have been shaped by intensive treatment for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) at The Hospital for Sick Children. Sometimes he is admitted for days at a time; other moments he’s travelling back and forth for procedures and checkups. No matter what the day brings, one thing remains constant: his parents must stay close.

That is why his family has made Ronald McDonald House Toronto their home throughout this long, unpredictable journey. When a child is seriously ill, everything changes in an instant. Parents stop counting hours and start counting moments. Work, routines, even meals — all of it rearranges itself around the urgent need to be near their child. Ronald McDonald House Toronto exists to make that possible.

For Dita, Aikan’s mom, what has meant the most is not just the closeness to care, but the pieces of ordinary life the House helps them hold onto. “One of the special things is the school for Aikan’s brother,” she said. “He is very, very happy there. After school he walks over to visit his brother at the hospital every day.”

That small daily ritual is a lifeline. With only 16 children’s hospitals in Canada, families who travel for treatment often struggle to maintain normalcy for siblings. The Ronald McDonald House Toronto School — Canada’s only school designed specifically for families navigating pediatric illness — gives children of all ages a safe place to learn, socialize, and stay steady while everything around them is shifting. It’s one of the quiet ways the House keeps families whole.

Daily life at the House has become another source of comfort. Cooking Aikan’s favourite food in a real kitchen. Being welcomed by name — and with kindness — by the front desk team. Feeling supported, safe, and seen at a time when nothing feels easy. “Everything we have from there is perfect for us so far,” Dita said. These small moments add up: last year alone, Ronald McDonald House Toronto provided more than 24,000 meals, along with programs that support caregiver wellness and child development. To families facing months of uncertainty, that support is not just helpful — it’s sustaining.

When asked what she would tell a family arriving for the first time, Dita didn’t hesitate. “This is the best place you can have — to be near the hospital, and to have everything you need,” she said. It’s a sentiment we hear often from parents who have walked this road: being able to stay together changes everything.

As they continue this difficult journey, the moments of joy matter more than ever — like the tender photo of Aikan being kissed on both cheeks by his grandparents during Family Photo Day this fall, a memory Dita treasures.

Because of donor support, families like hers can stay close to their child, keep routines for siblings, cook the meals that comfort them, and feel surrounded by care when life is at its hardest. And for Aikan’s family, that care is the difference between facing this journey alone and facing it together.

If you’re able, please help ensure the next family finds this comfort too.
Donate here.