More than $38K raised during McHappy Day for RVH neonatal intensive care unit

This year’s McHappy Day showed just how big a difference one small act can make. Together, the Barrie community helped raise $76,847 in support of Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre’s (RVH) Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Ronald McDonald House Toronto.

Of that total, $38,423 will directly support RVH’s plan to build a state-of-the-art NICU where families have space to bond, babies have room to heal, and care teams have what they need to save lives.

Right now, RVH’s NICU operates out of an open-concept space where families are separated by curtains and small space dividers. There’s little room for parents to rest, and be active participants in their baby’s care, and little space for the advanced equipment that fragile newborns rely on.

“Parents in our NICU are doing everything they can to be there for their newborns but they’re doing it in a space that’s stretched beyond its limits,” says Mary-Anne Frith, incoming Chair of RVH Foundation’s Board of Directors and Chair of the Keep Life Wild campaign. “A new NICU changes that—giving families the privacy and space to bond without barriers. That kind of space isn’t just a luxury. It’s part of how babies heal. Thank you to everyone who came out for McHappy Day for helping to make these changes possible.”

Funds raised also support Ronald McDonald House Toronto, giving families a place to stay close to their child when care leads them to SickKids.

This year’s McHappy Day is a clear example of what’s possible when a community comes together. Thanks to your support, families with newborns needed advanced, life-saving care will have the space, privacy, and comfort they deserve, right here at home.