SickKids Stories

Guest blog by Michael and Doug, dads to SickKids patient Malaki

After only three months as new dads with their foster child, Malaki, Michael and Doug found themselves at SickKids facing a challenge they never expected to be facing with their new son … a cancer diagnosis and a long road ahead at SickKids.

We had about three months with Malaki to get to know him – to discover his favourite foods and toys, start to understand the few words he could say -- before he got sick. In many ways, our first six months of treatment at SickKids was how our family bond was formed. After he was diagnosed, we would go to the hospital and care for him.  We learned how to comfort him when he was hurt or scared and entertain him when he needed a smile. It breaks our hearts to imagine what it would have been like for him if he had gotten sick only a few months earlier and had to go into treatment without us,” said Doug.

"We were lucky in some ways. Michael was on a parental leave from work so he devoted himself full-time to Malaki’s care. We are fortunate that SickKids is close by so we didn’t have to go very far and I could work while Malaki was in treatment. It was hard but we stepped up for a new little boy in our life."

"We felt supported by our family, friends and employers and of course the amazing staff and volunteers at SickKids. We were able to manage our changing responsibilities and form our family under challenging circumstances."