Well it is that time of year again, and we are ready to start our fourth annual toy drive for CK5 and the Children’s Hospital in Emma-Lee’s memory.

This year will definitely be different with COVID-19 in our lives, and the lives of the children in hospital. With all the restrictions in place for the safety of these immunocompromised children. We have decided to have the Children’s Hospital Foundation collect funds donated to Emma’s toy drive and purchase the toys needed for the children in the hospital over the holidays. This way the toys will be delivered directly to the hospital, wrapped and delivered to the children Christmas morning.

Our first toy drive was in 2017 at Emma’s celebration of life, it was so very successful we decided to make this a yearly event In remembrance of our sweet Emma-Lee.  

For those who are new to Emma’s story I’d like to tell you why we are doing this. At only a few months old Emma-Lee would have random bruising on her body for no apparent reason, these bruises would disappear as quickly as they appeared. After a mother’s intuition, and several visits to the Paediatrician, on March 24, 2017,  Tiffany, Emma-Lee’s mother along with Beverly, Emma-Lee’s Grandmother insisted on a blood test for Emma-Lee, this blood test would reveal 7 month old Emma-Lee Had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (A.L.L.) with M.L.L. Gene rearrangement. Which is the most common childhood leukaemia (cancer), but extremely rare in children under the age of one.

Although we  never spent  Christmas Day on CK5 because Emma passed away December 3rd 2017 from cancer at 15 months old, Our child life specialist and several nurses on CK-5 made Christmas happen for our family November 22nd with a Christmas photo shoot, presents for Emma, and Santa Claus with whom Emma was not very Impressed with. The picture on this page is one from that Christmas photo shoot - her Santa photo.

We however did spent our Easter, and Halloween on the ward. 

We know when Emma was in the hospital and Jessica (CK 5’s Child Life Specialist) would bring her a new toy she was so excited to play with something new, We thought it would be nice to share that happy memory we had with Emma in the hospital with other families that are still in the hospital and will be needing a happy memory over this holiday season. 

So At Emma-Lee’s celebration of life we asked for toys in lieu of flowers to donate to the Children’s hospital CK5 and other wards in need. And so began the annual toy drive in Emma-Lee’s memory .

We were so overwhelmed and so very grateful by the response to our request in helping make lots of sick kids stuck in the hospital very, very happy over the holiday season. 

So once again we are asking if you were able to donate any amount to our fundraiser for toys, we would really appreciate it and so would all the kids stuck in the hospital over the holidays. 

Thank you in advance,

the Grant Family.

I'm raising money in support of the Children's Hospital Foundation of Manitoba.

By making a donation to me, you are helping to make a difference in child health and child health research. With your support, we can do more for the children and families that need us. 

Please make a donation to by by clicking the orange "Donate Now" button and help me to reach my fundraising goal!

About The Children's Hospital Foundation of Manitoba

The Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba is dedicated to ensuring that every child treated at the Children’s Hospital receives the best medical care possible.

Since 1971, with incredible donor support, the Foundation has raised more than $100 million to improve the lives of sick and injured children from Manitoba, Northwestern Ontario, and Nunavut. Funding supports important programs that bring comfort to sick children during difficult times, the purchase of life-saving equipment, and the advancement of pediatric health research that will improve the lives of children everywhere.