Expanding charity helps family find Christmas 'magic' away from home after highway crash

Debra Mavin and her family from Torquay, Sask., were driving to visit relatives in Airdrie and Edmonton in Octoberwhen their plans changed in a split second.

It happened as they were heading west on the Trans-Canada Highway, just east of Brooks.

"A vehicle in the eastbound lane took a sharp turn out of their lane, through the median, and hit us head-on in our lane," Mavin told CBC News.

Mavin, her partner, Taylor Monkman, and her oldest son, Dalton,all suffered broken bones. All three were rushed to hospitals in Calgary.

They, along with her three younger children,have been here ever since.

"We were lucky enough to get a bed at Ronald McDonald House the morning after our accident. So it will be six weeks tomorrow that we've called this place our second home," Mavin said in early December.

Family experience extensive injuries

Mavin's collarbone was broken in three places.

Monkman suffered a shattered right ankle, broken left hip and left forearmthatrequired surgery, a scalped left knee that neededa massive skin graft,a broken rib,fractured vertebraeand a wrist fracture. He's still at Carewest.

Dalton suffered a broken right foot, a broken left femur and left hip, a broken pelvis, several broken ribs, two broken handsand a traumatic brain injury. The 13-year-oldhas recently been released from the Alberta Children'sHospital.

"[Dalton's] injuries were extremely extensive, so we're just thankful that there's not lasting deficits," Mavin said.

Throughout this long ordeal through Halloween, Dalton's birthday, and nowChristmas Ronald McDonald House has been home base. And Mavin says "home" is exactly how it feels.

"Everyone just feels it's like family. It's all the families and all of the staff and the volunteers and everyone. It's just like one big family," she said.

"And they do it all with a smile. We're a loud, crazy bunch, and they're always smiling at us."

Jason Evanson, the CEO of Ronald McDonald House Calgary, says no child should have to face medical treatment alone. But he says the demand is so much greater than what the facility can handle that almost nine out of 10 eligible families are turned away.

WATCH | Family from Saskatchewan spends holiday in Calgary:

After brush with tragedy, family thankful to be together for holidays

10 months ago

Duration 2:18

A family from Saskatchewan is spending Christmas in Calgary. It's not the holiday they planned for, but they're able to celebrate together thanks to a special place in the city.

"We're full every single day. There are 27 families that are staying with us today, and on occasion our waitlist can grow to as many as 60 families," he told CBC News.

That's why Ronald McDonald House Calgary is expanding.

"Today we're only meeting 14 per cent of the demand, but construction is underway to get us to 91 bedrooms, which means that in the future, one out of every two eligible families will be able to stay with us," he said.

When CBC News visited the facility, staff were preparing to officially kick-off their holiday celebrations by lighting up the house.

"It's an opportunity for us to celebrate what's incoming as far as the holidays are concerned, and to continue to provide distraction to families that have to travel for medical treatment," Evanson said.

Dalton was given the job of turning on the lights.

Mavin says Christmas is "huge" for her family.

"We celebrate all of basically November and December," she said.

She's very thankful that her whole family can be together for Christmas this year.

"You know, it's magic. You know it's hard to find the magic in our situation some days, but they've definitely put it into our lives here."

It's a magic that Jason Evanson hopes more families will be able to share very soon.

"We're counting down the days to that new facility being open," he said.