A Bradford mother and father have reached their goal of raising at least $50,000 to create awareness for Chiari Malformation, a condition their son was diagnosed with in 2017.
Frank and Jennifer Donkin stood proud and emotional on July 23 as they were surrounded by almost 200 people in support of their cause at the Bradford West Gwillimbury Leisure Centre. Their youngest son, Mason, was diagnosed with the structural defect in the cerebellum that is the part of the brain that controls balance, with symptoms that can include muscle weakness, vision problems, and dizziness.
The driving force behind starting the event was the fact it took the family four stressful years to receive the diagnosis. Because the condition is so rare, it’s often misdiagnosed which gave the Donkins’ the idea to start raising funds and awareness so other families didn’t have to go through the same struggles.
“After his diagnosis, I researched ways to give back and how to get more awareness, and we decided to plan this walk fundraiser right away,” said Jennifer.
Since starting the event in 2017, the goal for the Donkins has been to raise awareness and funds in the amount of $50,000 to help aid Sick Kids Hospital and open their first Canadian research centre for Chiari. Currently, all research for Chiari is done in the United States, which makes it hard for Canadians to get the proper diagnosis and support.
“When we started it was a lot smaller. The event has developed into so much more than it was in the beginning, about three times the size,” said Frank.
With supporters such as Harvey’s, Zehrs, Bradford Wolves Soccer Club and Bradford Fire Department, among many others, the community is shining for this important cause. In addition to this, attendees could donate through the silent auction and visit vendor tents while kids kept busy playing lawn games or getting their faces painted.
Mason, who was sporting tiger face paint at the fundraiser, is now 10 years old and looks forward to the event every year; he’s very social, loves being around people, and playing with his friends. His older brother, Ayden, was helping as well, and a strong brotherly bond was clearly evident.
This is the fourth year for the fundraising event, with two years unfortunately impacted due to pandemic restrictions. But that didn’t stop the family from reaching their goal. When restrictions were at their worst, they took part in virtual fundraisers and for Mason’s ninth birthday, they held a drive-by parade that helped generate some funds.
“Thank you to the Town of Bradford, the residents, and the community. They’re always positive and they’re always here to help us out, and it means a lot to us,” Frank said.
Frank and Jennifer’s event is without a doubt creating awareness of Chiari. Their neighbour was recently diagnosed with the condition and their education on it through this event allowed them to understand it more distinctly. Jennifer added, “By doing these events, we’ve met other families who are dealing with Chiari. So that makes it feel like so much more of a community, in knowing that we’re not alone in this.”
Almost $44,000 had been raised since the event’s inception, both through cheques and online donations, which was just shy of their $50,000 goal. An update indicates that the 2022 walk brought the amount well past their goal to over $55,000. Jennifer, emotional by the support around her, said, “It’s amazing. It’s just really nice to see everyone here supporting us. There just aren’t any words to express how happy we are, to see how this has grown and the continued support that we get. We feel very fortunate.”
Having reached their goal, Mason’s name and event cause will go on a plaque in Sick Kids Hospital. But their work isn’t done, the Donkins will continue to fundraise and create awareness for Chiari because ultimately, the research centre will need to be built, it will need to grow, and Chiari will continue to affect families across the country.
