'It broke my heart': Group donates meals to families isolating in children's cancer ward

WINNIPEG -

A support group for families battling childhood cancer is helping parents and caregivers stuck self-isolating in hospital.

Parents and guardians of eight to ten children were forced to self-isolate for 12 days after a COVID-19 outbreak was declared in the children's hospital cancer ward.

While kids are still provided meals, the parents only get a bagged lunch and aren't allowed to go down to the cafeteria.

That's why Candlelighters, a childhood cancer support group, sprung into action to help supply them with dinner.

"It broke my heart to think that their families would have to be scrambling," said Naomi Fehr, Candlelighters' board chair. "So the fear of having a child with cancer - newly diagnosed, recently diagnosed - is scary enough. Never mind having to have the scare of COVID-19 on top of that."

Fehr said the group was first contacted by a mother in the ward.

Since putting out a call for help on Thursday, the group has received over $14,000 in donations and countless offers of support.

"We have received so much help. Like people offering to help, restaurants have been reaching out," said Fehr.

"I have complete strangers that are contacting me and saying, 'We're raising funds, we've got X number of days paid for.' It's just been unbelievable."

Fehr says meals for the families are covered for the next few weeks, and the group is working on a plan to buy a couple of dinners a week well into the future.

More information on the group can be found on Candlelighters' website.