For video of the trip click here
He wasn’t exactly Santa, but a Campbellford man’s journey to Toronto definitely brightened the day of many at The Hospital for Sick Children.
It was the second year Daryl McColl has made the trip.
McColl is a police officer with Northumberland County and on Tuesday, December 17, 2019 he drove from Campbellford to Toronto with a pickup truck bed filled with toys and gifts along with the inside of his truck filled to the roof with toys.
The destinations for the day were The Hospital for Sick Children, Ronald McDonald House and Emily’s House (10-bed home-like setting for respite and palliative care with professional nursing staff. Emily’s House is a 10-bed home-like setting for respite and palliative care dedicated to caring for children with complex needs while supporting their families. It is the first of its kind in the city and among 6 in Canada. It allows children and their families to have a home away from home for respite, pain and symptom management and palliative care. Endorsed and supported by Sick Kids Hospital, and serviced by expert physicians, trained nursing staff, dedicated play, art and spiritual care therapists as well as a dedicated management staff and board of directors.)
The first stop was the Hospital for Sick Children when he was met by four Toronto Police Officers who helped deliver hundreds of toys to children.
Jasmine Gareau’s 12-year-old daughter Lola has a chronic kidney disease and has been coming to Sick Kids since she was five-years-old.
Lola has currently been at Sick Kids since last Thursday fighting a chest infection.
Gareau and her daughter live in Campbellford and heard about McColl’s journey through friends.
Because Lola is in isolation, her mother came outside to pick items specifically for her daughter.
“She’s bored, so this stuff will keep her going which is great.”
As a parent, Gareau said what the community has done for her daughter means the world to them.
‘It’s amazing that people do this. I would love to be able to one day give back and do this.”
“It’s so wonderful that people can get together and show love and care for other people they don’t even know.”
McColl and a number of officers then visited rooms to deliver gifts to families being treated in Sick Kids.
The officers then brought in bags of gifts in the main entrance of the hospital where children and parents could go through. Some parents were in disbelief that McColl would drive two hours to Toronto to hand out gifts from the community of Trent Hills.
Back outside officers were handing out other gifts from the back of the pickup truck to people entering the hospital.
Leanne Rosborough from Madoc and her daughter Payton were at Sick Kids for an appointment when they came upon the event.
“This is phenomenal and so touching to know that he’s so giving and giving to all the children that are here and not being able to get out and enjoy Christmas so this is pretty special,” said Rosborough.
Payton added, “I really liked it.”
McColl said the weather wasn’t perfect for driving from Campbellford to Toronto, but it was all worthwhile seeing the smiles on the faces of parents and their children.
The event started last year when McColl wanted to somehow say thank you to Sick Kids and “give back” and try and support people in the facilities.
“I feel very fortunate having a good job, good health and three healthy children,” said McColl.
But when two of his children were young, they were hospitalized at the Hospital for Sick Children.
“I felt very humbled by the service they were provided. When your child is sick, nothing really else matters.”
Friends, family, and the community of Trent Hills rallied around McColl’s efforts by supporting the cause for a second year in any way they could.
McColl hoped that for a few minutes at least both parents and children could forget why they are there and just enjoy themselves.
Four uniformed officers with the Toronto Police Service accompanied McColl into the hospital to spread the joy.
“There were definitely some teary eyes, not just children, but parents, and I think even the policemen had to walk away and turn their heads a few times to recompose themselves, knowing how lucky they are and how fortunate they were to join in on this opportunity.”
McColl said he is very grateful to everyone who contributed to make the day such a success for the families.
“We made sure all these places (visited) and people were fully aware these gifts didn’t come from me personally, they came from everybody, they came from our communities – from the people that care and the people that love to see a smile put on these peoples faces.”
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
