Annual Walk for Chiari in support of young boy set to return next weekend
The Donkin family is putting the final preparations in place for the return of an annual Walk for Chiari, a charity walk meant to benefit young Mason Donkin.
The Walk for Chiari has been paused since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was started by Mason's mother, Jennifer, after her son was diagnosed with a rare brain condition to raise funds and awareness for the disease.
"When we first got the diagnosis for Mason in 2017, because Chiari is so uncommon, I thought how could we improve this," says Jennifer. "Mason went so many years without being diagnosed, which is hard for a family to not get the answers to help support him. So right away, I got on board with trying to do these fundraisers."
The goal is to raise funds for Sick Kids Hospital, where Mason has been receiving care for the last number of years.
"Getting the diagnosis of Chiari for Mason was a huge eye-opener because as an infant he struggled with so many different challenges daily whether it was GI-related, bladder related, balance, headaches, fatigue, nausea and we just weren't sure what was causing that."
They want to create a research centre for Chiari, which would be the first of its kind in Canada.
"My wife said we have to give back, and I'm like yes, we have to give back, and let's give back," says Mason's dad Frank. "So our way of giving back is supporting Sick Kids; supporting Sick Kids under Mase, but it's still supporting Sick Kids; an amazing hospital, amazing staff. I can't say enough about them down there."
The walk is set to return next Saturday, July 23. In addition to the 1-kilometre walk, the day will include a host of activities for the whole family, including face painting, games, raffles, a silent auction and a BBQ.
Not only has the event helped the family bring in much-needed funds, but it's helped them connect with their community.
"It's really cool because you see that there are a lot of people there to represent you and help you and people like you with special conditions like you and it's really exciting because when you go there, you see so many people in your honour it's just really amazing," says Mason.
They are inching closer to their $50,000 goal, a contribution to Sick Kids Hospital that will get Mason his own plaque on the building. Since he considers it his second home, it's something that the family is looking forward to receiving.
"They are just really amazing, and the stuff that they do for their patients is really cool, and I like to thank them for that," says Mason.
For more information on the walk, you can click here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.