The Christmas cheer was palpable Sunday night inside the Toys R Us store in Barrie’s south end.
Between visits with Santa, hanging out with princesses, Stormtroopers and the store’s very own Geoffrey the Giraffe, 47 Starlight families filled their carts with their favourite toys as they enjoyed the Toys R Us Holiday Party, a private shopping spree to celebrate the holiday season.
“We have been putting this event on for a few years now and have all of our Starlight families come to the event and they get a $50 gift card per child to spend and leave with their mega-pack,” said Kaitlin Kiraly, children’s services officer with the Starlight Children’s Foundation Canada.
The event was taking place at 11 stores across Canada, she added, noting the Barrie event boasted 47 families and just under 200 people — with 114 of them being children.
Mother and daughter duo Angela and Finnlay Speigl, 4, were enjoying perusing the princess aisle together at the south end store.
“It means a day of fun and away from hospitals. It’s kind of a magical, special experience for her that she can come in and be a normal kid away from everything else,” said the Barrie mom.
“She’s four and spent her first seven months in the hospital. She’s had over 20 surgeries and has spent a lot of time there for respiratory illness … but she’s a very resilient kid. She had a very tough year this year, so this is extra special," said Angela.
Two-year-old Nolan Davis was one of the many Starlight kids enjoying the chance to pick out his favourite toys — including a Tonka truck and a stuffed dog — Sunday evening, along with his two older siblings Callie 7, and Bradley, 9.
Nolan has Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia and is currently in remission.
“He has spent 165 days of the last year in Sick Kids. He’s had two bone marrow transplants and just got home in September,” said dad Derek Davis. “He’s doing very well. There are days that are not so good and there are days that are better.”
The family, who live in Brechin — located about 45 minutes north east of Barrie — are excited to be able to spend this Christmas all together again, adding being part of Sunday’s event was an “incredible” experience.
“Despite what we’ve all been through, they’re so lucky to have opportunities like this to make up for those bad times,” added mom Courtney Nicastro.
Seven-year-old Jack Shaw from Phelpston was on the hunt for some Hot Wheels, board games, books and chocolate, said mom Lisa Shaw.
“You can see the smile on this little boy’s face. It means the world. This is our second time attending the event. It really just tells you everything, just seeing the excitement on his face,” she said.
The Hauth family travelled from London, and said they almost didn’t make it, as 13-year-old Jazzmyn was in the hospital as recently as yesterday after a cold and an uncontrollable nosebleed.
“Words just can’t even describe how we feel. What Toys R Us and Starlight Foundation does is just incredible,” said David Hauth. “Our Starlight child is 13 and she’s had six open-heart surgeries since she was eight months old. Her latest was just over a year ago and she had a mitral valve replacement and a pacemaker (put in).”
Being able to spend this time together, having fun and not worrying about doctor’s appointments and the usual day-to-day things a family of six has to deal with was “huge” for them, added Michelle Hauth.
“I don’t think about anything else. Right now, I am just inundated with toys and the fun of seeing the kids so happy,” she said. “We are just grateful we can be here together and do this.”
Days like this, added David, helps make the hospital feel “a million miles away.”
“It makes us feel special and we don't have to worry about the sickness. Stuff we do everyday that we don’t really think about. They definitely make you feel special,” he said.
The foundation has partnered with the toy store for 25 years and over those years, through initiatives such as its Star campaign — where shoppers are invited to donate and write their name on a star which is then displayed within the store — has raised more than $28 million which goes to children in and out of the hospital.
“We are nationwide, so that’s helped tens of thousands of kids over that time period,” Kiraly said.
“To put this event on, we really on donations. It brightens a seriously ill child’s day, as well as the parents. Without those donations, they wouldn’t get to experience stuff like this," she said.
