Five years ago, Kim Thiessen stayed at Ronald McDonald House Winnipeg after her son Cohen was born with a diaphragmatic hernia. 

"When we got there we had received a welcome pack," Thiessen says they received a welcome pack with the things they needed for a stay at Ronald McDonald House, "It made us feel less alone just that there were other people who were thinking of us"

Cohen was born in Winnipeg with a diaphragmatic hernia

A year later the Thiessen family returned the Ronald McDonald House when Cohen required surgery, "From there I started to do a little bit more research into where these bags came from"

Thiessen pointed out that this was the start of her journey into putting welcome packs together for the Ronald McDonald House. 

"Supporting Ronald McDonald House is something I'm very passion about" says Thiessen. She adds that putting these bags together is a small way that she can give back to other families going through hard times. 

For three years Thiessen has been fundraising and assembling welcome packs for Ronald McDonald House Winnipeg. The fundraiser grows larger each year, this year with contributions from local businesses Pembina Valley Dental and Ideal Floors.

We talked with Kim Thiessen about her Ronald McDonald House experience...

 

Receiving the welcome packs was an emotional experience...

 

Kim says that Cohen is doing very well...

 

A lot goes into putting these welcome packs together...

 

Kim talked about why she has kept this going for three years...

 

For more information or to contribute you can email Kim at kim.thiessen.tiberriver@hotmail.com

What a typical bag looks like