Ronald McDonald House rejects claims it's evicting families after implementing new vaccine mandate
The Ronald McDonald House is pushing back against claims suggesting it's evicting families after implementing new vaccination requirements.
Earlier this week, families staying at the 73-bedroom Vancouver facility, which provides them with a place to live while their children receive treatment at BC Children’s Hospital, were sent a letter outlining the new policy.
The letter stated that anyone over the age of five who is either living at or visiting the home must have received at least one dose of a vaccine by month’s end.
"The purpose of the the vaccination policy is to ensure that we can provide the safest possible environment for those children who are here with compromised immune systems," Ronald McDonald House spokesperson Shannon Kidd said in an interview with CTV News Vancouver.
However, the policy didn’t go over too well with one Kelowna man.
Unvaccinated resident Austin Furgason, whose four-year-old son is undergoing treatment for Leukemia, posted a video of himself confronting a staff member at the house on Facebook.
“This is some kind of crazy evil,” Furgason can be heard saying in the video.
Furgason went on to write a lengthy post claiming they were being evicted. His posts went viral after being picked up by several American media outlets.
“I think it’s important to set the record straight that we will not be evicting families based on their vaccination status,” said Kidd. “If there are families who choose not to comply with the new policy, we would be working with our local external team to provide alternate accommodations for them."
Another father of a child undergoing cancer treatment told CTV News the new policy caught him and his wife off guard.
"It was a little shocking, for sure,” Brian Blakely said.
His five-year-old son Andrew has since been given a doctor’s exemption, which will allow him to stay at RMH until he enters remission.
Blakely and his wife are both vaccinated, but the new mandate will force him to stay in the Okanagan with his eight-year-old daughter, who is currently unvaccinated.
He says he thinks RMH could have found a better way to notify families of the new rules, but remains grateful for all they offer.
"Everybody needs to just calm down and remember who this is all about,” Blakely said. “It's about the kids."
Kidd says RMH acknowledges their approach could have been better.
“We definitely heard the feedback about how the communication was handled, and will be taking that into account going forward,” she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Couple randomly attacked, 1 stabbed, by group of teens in Toronto, police say
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
Ron Ellis, who played over 1,000 games with Maple Leafs, dead at 79
Ron Ellis, who played over 1,000 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs and was a member of Canada's team at the 1972 Summit Series, has died at age 79.
Fort Nelson, B.C., wildfire doubles in size as 3,000-plus ordered to evacuate
The wildfire that sparked Friday and caused evacuation orders for more than 3,000 people in Fort Nelson, B.C., and the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has grown to nearly 1,700 hectares in size, according to a Saturday morning update from the BC Wildfire Service.
Eurovision Song Contest final kicks off after protests, backstage chaos and a contestant's expulsion
The final of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest kicked off Saturday in the Swedish city of Malmo after days of protests and offstage drama that have tipped the feelgood musical celebration into a chaotic pressure cooker overshadowed by the war in Gaza.
IN PICTURES Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Grand Bend, Collingwood and Guelph, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.
'I am angry': Alberta farmers will continue fight over world class motorsport resort
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Haitians demand the resignation and arrest of the country's police chief after a new gang attack
A growing number of civilians and police officers are demanding the dismissal and arrest of Haiti's police chief as heavily armed gangs launched a new attack in the capital of Port-au-Prince, seizing control of yet another police station early Saturday.