REGINA – What better feeling is there than dressing up as your favourite super hero and taking over the world? At the 2nd annual Iron Will Family Day, the theme was none other than being a superhero.
It’s a dedication to a young fighter.
“We lost our son William two years ago. He was 13 months old when he passed away and I could sit here and tell you stories about Will for hours,” said Desiree Rattray, who organized the event with her husband Jason in memory of their little superhero “He was just a very happy, very positive resilient little guy through everything he went through, every medical issue that he had. So he ended up with the nick name Iron Will.”
It’s why the event is organized as a fundraiser for the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan. It aims to create a legacy for Will and help similar families like the Rattray’s who were forced to leave the province for much needed healthcare for their son.
“I remember one farther living in his car. They had to move into Edmonton. He went and got a job at Tim Hortons and his wife was beside their child’s side and they didn’t have the support we had. And we learned very quickly that the same thing must be happening to the people in Saskatchewan so we need a children’s hospital here,” explained Jason.
Their goal is huge, $300,000 by the end of 2017. So far, they have raised almost of the amount but just like their late superhero son Iron Will, they are not giving up.
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“We wouldn’t be able to do what we’re doing without these donations… It all makes an incredible difference,” said Jana Len, the provincial development manager for Children’s Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan.
Len says she’s excited to see the province’s children’s hospital undergoing construction in Saskatoon.
The community support was evident among the throng of company donations and volunteers taking park.
It caught the attention of families in attendance with similar stories who say they are grateful .
“They’re the most amazing people, They’re awesome people, we love them to death,” said Alexis Campbell, whose daughter recently underwent a liver transplant at Edmonton’s Children’s Hospital.
“To see kids enjoying themselves whether they knew Will or not or whether they had health problems or not. It’s kind of a day to pull all of that aside and have a great time. And that’s what’s happening,” said Desiree.
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