46) The Williams Toy Drive, Brandon Cook's Holiday Toy Drive, and other thanks

First off, I'd like to write my appreciation for the Ronald McDonald House room located on the pediatric floor of Scarborough Centenary. They offer snacks, food, water, coffee/tea, shower rooms, and sleep rooms. Ronald McDonald House is a great charity that helps many parents who have sick children, so please support them on May 2nd 2018 for McHappy Day, or consider them if you are making any charitable donations. I would also like to thank all of the doctors, nurses, and staff in pediatrics at Scarborough Centenary for taking such great care of us during our hospital stay. Days, nights, weekdays, weekends, holidays. Medical staff are caring, selfless people who are devoted to caring for us in our worst moments when we are ill, and I cannot say enough good things about them.

I'd like to take this time to recognize The Williams Toy Drive (Facebook), and Canadian super welterweight boxer Brandon "Bad Boy" Cook's Holiday Toy Drive (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Web), and everyone involved in both toy drives.

The Williams Family has been doing toy drives for 8 years, and this was their 4th year supporting Scarborough Centenary. The Williams family has also supported WINGS maternity home, the Red Door women's shelter, and Toy Mountain.

Brandon Cook has been doing toy drives for 4 years, and this was his 1st year supporting Scarborough Centenary. Brandon Cook's Holiday Toy Drive has also supported SickKids, the Salvation Army, and Durham Regional Police.

Christmas Eve fell on a Sunday in 2017. That morning, I was surprised by appearance of our POGO Satellite Clinic nurse-practitioners. For one, it was Christmas Eve, and for two, it was a Sunday, and the clinic is only open Monday to Friday. They told me that they had arrived because they were receiving a big toy drop, and I didn't really think anything more about it. Maybe half an hour later, nurse-practitioner L popped her head in our room, and asked me if I wanted to bring E to the floor reception desk, because the group of people who had donated presents were actually here to give toys to all of the kids who were in the hospital over Christmas. My wife was still at home, so nurse-practitioner L helped me with E's IV pole while I pushed him in his stroller.

At the reception desk, there were a couple of carts full of toys, from teddy bears, to My Little Pony, to trucks, to Star Wars figures, to mini hockey sets, and more! We were encouraged to have a look, and pick whatever we thought our child would like. I felt a bit hesitant and awkward rummaging through everything, but I was looking it all, taking it in. Before long, Brandon Cook walked over to where I was standing with E, and he had an armload of toys. He was asking me what E liked, and was showing a few different things to him. A particular gift, a set of 6 little trucks, had him grinning ear to ear, so we knew that was the one!

I spoke to both Brandon Cook, and Byron Williams to thank them and their supporters for their wonderful generosity, and to let them know how much I appreciated the fact that their kindness had put such a big smile on my little E's face.

All smiles near the reception desk after The Williams Toy Drive & Brandon Cook's Holiday Toy Drive delivered gifts.

Brandon Cook and his recently-won junior-middleweight IBA Intercontinental Title

When everything wrapped up in the reception area, E and I returned to our room. I sent a quick message to my wife, and our families to let them know what had just happened, and then I lost it for a couple of minutes. I took in the gravity of what had just transpired, and cried some (mostly) happy tears. I've never really been on the receiving end of charity before this, and it hit me at that exact moment: we were that family. The family who has a child with a critical illness. The family who are in the hospital over Christmas. Complete strangers had gone out of their way and spent their hard earned money on a gift that ended up in the hands of my son. That gift put such a big smile on his face. I was overwhelmed by incredible generosity of all those involved with these two toy drives. Even now, almost 2 months later, as I finally put the wraps on this long simmering post, I still remember the way E's face lit up when he saw the trucks.