Last Wednesday was McHappy Day, a time when McDonald’s raises money for their in-house charity the Ronald McDonald House (RMH), which provides a home for families who have a child facing health complications or medical treatments from a city hospital. In Manitoba, two RMH locations in Winnipeg provide accommodations for families who find themselves in either one of those difficult circumstances.
Local Valley family Jon and Lisa Boyko, experienced first-hand how truly wonderful of a place the RMH is when you are faced with a child who is experiencing medical complications.
“My husband and I were expecting our first child in May of 2018,” said Boyko. “After what seemed to be a normal pregnancy, I went into pre-term labour at 25 weeks. We quickly found ourselves in Winnipeg at the Health Sciences Centre (HSC) with nothing but the clothes on our backs and a 25-week gestation baby fighting for his life.
“Micro preemies have a long and complex medical journey. We knew if our child survived, we would be in Winnipeg for months with a lot of follow-ups depending on the prognosis. It was the NICU social worker who referred us to the RMH. Unfortunately, there were no rooms available at the time, but we were a high priority on the waiting list given our distance.”
The Boykos found themselves in a tough situation when their son, Abel, needed long-term medical care that only a hospital in Winnipeg could provide. Like most families in similar types of situations, they didn’t have a place to stay long-term in the city while getting care for their children.
“We have a few family members that live in Winnipeg and they did help us out for the first week and a half,” said Boyko. “We were told we could stay as long as needed, however, when you are looking at a lengthy stay such as ours, you don’t want to wear out your welcome. The costs started to add up with parking and a half-hour commute one way every day.
“Neither I nor my husband wanted to be away from the hospital, so all our meals were at the HSC cafeteria. We were sitting in the NICU for 14-plus hours a day with no nearby place to rest. It became exhausting.
“A few days before we got a room at the RMH and were given the only parent room next to the NICU,” said Boyko. “The keys to this room are given to the parents of the sickest baby in the NICU, allowing you to be there in seconds if needed. We were there for two nights then got a room with the Ronald McDonald Family Rooms in the hospital before getting a permanent room at the house.”
When it comes to a family’s need to stay at the RMH, there is no time limit. Some stay for only a few days, while others spend several months, as their child receives medical care and treatment. This can make the RMH a very busy place that sometimes doesn’t always have vacancies.
“We stayed for 140 consecutive nights at RMH before we were able to bring our baby home,” said Boyko. “Over the next few years, we had many trips for follow-ups, MRIs, and surgeries. Since we had already been registered with the house, I would simply call to check for availability. We were never turned down, they would have a room for us, but the one time they didn’t they assisted us in getting a Canad Inns room at a deeply discounted rate.
“All our stays were at the old RMH in Winnipeg and our appointments became virtual with the pandemic. Recently, we had a health scare that led to a life flight to HSC. After not staying at the home for two years and with the build of the new home, I was worried there would be changes and we would not be able to get in, however, that was not the case. When I called that morning, they immediately had a room available for me.”
For many who have stayed at the RMH, it becomes a home away from home that provides all the comforts and care that a family needs while going through a difficult time when it comes to their child’s health.
“Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) offers so much to families in their time of need and is truly a home away from home,” said Boyko. “You get your private bedroom, there are fully equipped kitchens, laundry facilities, playrooms, private parking lots to park a vehicle, a secure outdoor area to gather and so much more. But it goes above and beyond the comforts of home.
“I had staff and volunteers offer to wash my laundry when I was spending long hours at the hospital, while volunteer groups came in and cooked meals with food they provided. I have never had someone come to my home and offer to cook or do laundry. The house is a wonderful thing, but it is the volunteers and staff who commit their time to make it a home away from home.”
Boyko feels that the RMHC was a true lifesaver for them when they needed it the most. It allowed them to be by Abel’s side at all hours, and be a constant part of his recovery and development.
“Financially RMHC removes a huge burden when you’re at the hospital full-time and there is no way you can work,” said Boyko. “Keeping things afloat back at home is a challenge, never mind having to take up another residence somewhere else. We had our room that was a five-minute walk to the hospital, with all the amenities we needed.
“I believe it is extremely important for parents to be by a sick kid’s bedside. Without the RMHC we would not have been able to be at his bedside daily for as long as we were. I wholeheartedly believe that the endless hours we spent at the hospital, talking to him, and doing kangaroo care contributed to such a positive prognosis. Without us being there, he may not have done as well as he did and for that, I’d like to think that the countless hours we spent by his bedside helped, and we were able to spend every day at the hospital thanks to RMHC.”
Abel has come a long way since the initial traumatic diagnosis given to him at birth. It was a rough start for both Abel and his parents, but now he is thriving beautifully.
“Abel is excelling beyond the prognosis that he initially received,” said Boyko. “We had been told that the chances of him being able to walk, talk, and lead a life that did not involve a high level of care were slim to none. There was not a day of our stay that was easy, but the first two months were ideally the worst.
“Almost daily I had a doctor tell me ‘If your baby makes it’ and they would go on with a long list of complications that they see happen. People who know Abel, now see a kid who can walk, run, and talk your ear off once he warms up to you. He defeated the odds. We do still have some worries and will have follow-ups in the years to come, but overall, he is doing exceptionally well and has had doctors question his prematurity.”
Boyko looks back at the experience of the RMHC with a fondness, for the volunteers and families she met there, created a support network that she still has to this day. One never forgets the kindness of strangers who help out when it’s greatly needed.
“I will always cherish and remember the friendships we made with other families in the home,” said Boyko. “I met people from all walks of life during my stay, some even from other countries. Through your unique yet similar experience of having a sick child, you build bonds and friendships that you otherwise would not have if it wasn’t for RMHC.
“Yes, your friends and family are there for support, but they truly cannot understand or comprehend the things you are seeing and going through. You find yourself with this support group who understands, you vent to each other and offer each other tips and guidance. They become your second family and you truly cannot forget these people. To this day, I stay in touch with many of them and have even met up with them on a few occasions even though we live miles apart.”
The Boyko family is forever grateful to the RMH for all it has done to keep them with Abel during his stay in the hospital and for the appointments he has had in the city, but they also are thankful to the local organizations who helped them as well.
“On a side note, although this is about RMHC and we come from a small community there are many ways people can contribute to aiding families with sick children,” said Boyko. “Such as our local Lions, Kinsmen Club, and church organizations which all helped us immensely.”

When a child gets sick or is need of urgent medical attention, it can be a family’s worst nightmare come true. Despite the stress of dealing with a child’s medical emergency, there are some saviours out there who want to help. The Ronald McDonald House (RMH) has been providing families with sick children for 40 years now, by providing families from rural and northern Manitoba, as well as across Canada, with a place to stay, while their child is receiving medical attention.
One family in The Pas as experienced the kindness and compassion that the RMH has to offer.
“When I was pregnant with our son, Walter, my water broke in the middle of the night at 24 weeks pregnant,” said Jennifer Zolinski. “I was rushed to Winnipeg and admitted to Health Sciences Centre (HSC) and Walter was born at 25 weeks premature via emergency c-section. Walter had to spend 100 days as a patient in the NICU, and was discharged right before his due date.

For those with a green thumb, gardening season is about to take root. For the avid die-hard gardeners, many have already planted their seeds indoor and are waiting for the plants to be strong enough to transplant. While many others are eagerly awaiting for local greenhouses to open.
Hummingbird Garden Centre has been busy preparing for this year’s growing season. Much of their work is done manually ahead of time, to ensure they have a full supply in bloom.
“We start in September in terms of ordering flowers, shrubs and trees for the spring season,” said Hummingbird Garden Centre Owner and Operator Kathy Larkins. “Then in February, we get in the greenhouse and start to fill about 6,000 pots. We don’t have a pot filler, so it’s all done manually.

Being kind is something that not enough of us practice and with taking care of one’s mental health becoming more prominent than ever, kindness and compassion only seem like logical choices in the matter. Canadian Mental Health Week is from May 6 to 12, and the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is launching a campaign calling on people to be kind.
“The CMHA first introduced Mental Health Week across Canada in 1951,” said CMHA Swan Valley Branch Peer Support/Public Education Coordinator Rod Seib. “Held the first full week of May, Mental Health Week provides an opportunity not only to raise awareness of mental illness but to also promote healthy ways to encourage good mental health and well-being.
“The goal is to educate as well as offer practical ways to maintain and improve our mental health and provide solutions to support recovery from mental illness. Each year a different theme for Mental Health Week is promoted.

Opaskwayak Cree Nation (OCN) is well known for its musicians and artists, and one artist has been working hard to make his dreams come true. Low Budget Rock Star’s Kennie Henderson has dreamed of going to Nashville and do some recording. Thanks to some connections and hard work, he has been able to do just that.
“For me, we’ve come a long ways since the last time talked about my music,” said Henderson. “I remember one interview I had done for the Opasquia Times, where I talked about how I wanted to go to Nashville, connect with some people down there and record some music. Now I’ve done exactly that.

Winnipeg’s number one morning show, featuring a former Valley resident, has another accolade to its credit. Last week, Tyler Carr won an award for Radio/Podcast Host of the Year, and although it’s not Carr’s first award attributed to his work on-air, it’s still one that means a lot to him.
“I’ve won a few awards in the past, but this one specifically, I’ve never received,” said Winnipeg Energy 106 FM Radio Host Tyler Carr. “This one is for the Winnipeg Nightlife and Style Awards and it’s voted by people online. People go online to vote, and the top-voted contestants move on to the next round. The voting happens again and then the winner is chosen by the number of votes. It’s kind of like the Grammys, where they have the list of nominees and then announce the winners live.
“This award was different than the other ones, for me, because this one was more local. It had people from Winnipeg and all over Manitoba voting, whereas the other awards I received in the past, were voted on by boards or members. To get an award that is voted on by people in your community and listening area is surreal.”
The criteria this particular award is based on, comes from the fans and listeners themselves, for they are the ones who cast the votes. For Carr and his team, their morning show is both a regular timeslot feature and is also a podcast for people to take in whenever. Carr believes this played a pivotal role in him winning the award.
“The award is Radio/Podcast Host, so it’s out of a pool of people who are hosting morning, afternoon or evening radio, or someone who is hosting a podcast show,” said Carr. “It’s a versatile award category, but at the same time, it’s all-encompassing. For me, the best thing is doing the morning show. I just love being a part of hosting the morning show on Energy 106.
“My best friend and colleague, Dave Wheeler, also edits our show and makes a podcast out of it. So, for the listeners who didn’t catch the morning show, they can still get our show at any hour, at any time, with no music. It still provides what’s happening and going on in the area, which allows people to still access our content. We have this radio show and it’s also a podcast, so I think that helped me in terms of this award.”
Carr recognizes that not everything discussed on-air can have that light and fluffy feel to it, but the overall goal is about connecting with people on a real level and one that they find themselves in, during that specific moment.
“We don’t steer away from having hard conversations on radio and sometimes tensions get high, but we like to be real and show every emotion,” said Carr. “That is the part of the morning show I love the most. I get feedback from people in Winnipeg to Swan River, who appreciate that raw emotion that they can’t get anywhere else that time of day. It helps people not feel alone first thing in the morning on that drive to work or wherever they may be starting the day. I wouldn’t change this timeslot for anything in the world.
“We do this feature called the Loud Line and I think it’s my favourite thing. It’s a voicemail that callers can call in at any time and they leave stories, jokes, rants, or whatever and we play it at the same time every day. I love it because we get these messages and hear what others are going through or having to say, which allows us to hear their stories. So, they are listening to us, and we are listening to them. It’s like we are interacting with them on a certain level.”
There are several components to being an on-air radio host that Carr loves. Although mornings may not be his thing, he loves being a part of helping set others on the right foot to start their day.
“I will be honest, I am not a morning person, but I love the timeslot because it’s when everyone is going to work and you have the opportunity to help them get ready for their day,” said Carr. “Maybe they woke up not in a good mood or are stressed out, and we are trying to set them up as best as possible for their day, whether that is trying to make them laugh or giving them information so they can be aware. I love that.
“Then when I’m out in the community, I will have listeners come up to me and tell me they were having a really bad day and we said something on the radio that made them laugh and it changed the rest of their day. That’s why I love that timeslot because I have the opportunity to make someone else’s entire day better.
“Honestly, the feedback we get back from people listening, also helps us with our day, because we’re starting our day in the studio,” said Carr. “When they are sending you positive text messages, it just feels like a radio hug with people that you don’t necessarily know and I love that because it’s all about the message of positivity.”

The Tim Hortons Smile Cookie Campaign is launching this week and another local charity is going to be benefitting from the fundraiser. Over the years, The Pas Tim Hortons has seen local support for the Smile Cookie Campaign grow.
“We are launching off our Tim Hortons Smile Cookie Campaign starting April 29 to May 5,” said The Pas Tim Hortons Franchise Owner Kathryn Sanderson. “Over the years this campaign has been growing and well received. The Pas, R.M. of Kelsey and Opaskwayak Cree Nation residents have been huge supporters of it.