The family of a Coquitlam boy battling leukaemia flew to Banff last month courtesy of Starlight Children’s Foundation Canada.
Nine-year-old Eric Wagner joined 14 other children facing serious or life-altering illnesses, and their families, for a two-day train trip through the Canadian Rockies to Vancouver — a gift donated by Rocky Mountaineer.
The aim of the adventure was to offer some much-needed respite to the sick kids and their families.
Wagner, who has had a bone marrow transplant, has spent more than 100 days in the hospital over the past two years; he continues to get regular treatments.
“Eric has spent a lot of time in the hospital and that meant that we were apart as a family,” said Wagner’s mother, Jaqueline, in a news release.
“So, for us, this trip is an opportunity for us all to be together.”
Brian Bringolf, CEO of Starlight Canada, said the experience gives children with illnesses and their families a break from their medical worries.
He thanked Rocky Mountaineer and the Air Canada Foundation for partnering on the trip for the third year in a row.
“In a child's journey filled with hospital visits, medications and treatments, meaningful experiences like these create vital moments of joy and hope, allowing families to reconnect and recharge.”
Starlight Canada has helped sick kids in Canada for more than 30 years. Last year, its hospital-to-home programs were used more than 750,000 times by 100 hospitals and 2,000 families registered in its outpatient initiatives.
In Canada, about 500,000 children are hospitalized each year.
To learn more about the organization or to donate, you can visit Starlight Canada’s website.
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