Ronald McDonald House Charities seeks more space for families across Canada

Three-year-old Wade Butter’s cancer diagnosis brought his family to Ronald McDonald House, a lifeline during countless hospital visits and long, challenging days.

A persistent fever landed nearly three-year-old Wade Butter in hospital right before his birthday in 2023.

“We kind of sensed that something was wrong and called his family doctor. And that’s when everything started,” said Nichole Fink, Wade’s mom.

A trip to their local hospital in Cambridge, Ont., confirmed the family’s worst nightmare.

“The pediatrician started running some tests, and he was cancer positive,” Wade’s father Adam Butter recalled. “We just entered a blur from there.”

“It’s not something that you would ever think is going to happen to your child,” Fink said.

Things moved quickly as doctors determined Wade would need specialized care elsewhere. Fink and Wade were transported by Ornge Ambulance to McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton. Butter followed behind in the family van. Their other son John stayed with family.

The family takes about an hour to get from their house to the hospital. It’s a drive they have repeated dozens of times as they continue to navigate Wade’s cancer diagnosis.

Part of their journey included a 17-day stay at the Ronald McDonald House, just a few blocks from the hospital. Butter said receiving that support was critical for their family.