General News

“Running North for YANA” – Jan Kotyk

Posted on April 6, 2021

Click here to donate to Jan’s fundraiser! Don’t forget to mention “Jan Kotyk” in the ‘MESSAGE FOR YANA FUND SOCIETY’ BOX

Check out Jan’s video highlights by clicking here!

Multi-generational YANA support for Comox Valley family

Posted on March 31, 2021

Originally published by the Comox Valley Record March 29, 2021

Andrea Postal, Client Services, YANA.  Special to the Record

It’s been almost three decades since Jeanne and Ray Van Der Mark were introduced to a YANA, an organization unique to the Comox Valley, and one that has made a lifelong impact on their family and children.

YANA, which stands for “You Are Not Alone”, was founded by Sandra Williams in 1986, and has since been an invaluable resource through its funding and accommodation programs in place for pregnant women and families with children under 19, who require medical support outside of the Valley.

The Van Der Mark family found out just how special this community and the organization was in 1994 when their doctor suggested they reach out to YANA for assistance with their oldest child, who was diagnosed with bilateral clubfeet at birth and required multiple trips, surgeries, and visits to BC Children’s Hospital. They couldn’t believe the support that was available to them in a stressful time of their lives, and it was obvious that the memory still brought back the feeling, 27 years later. YANA provided them with funds to help them make the many trips they’d make to Vancouver, and it became a gift that has kept on giving.

“The best part of it was, we told them about where we were going, and we didn’t have to give receipts, we didn’t have to worry about gas or the ferry fees,” said Jeanne. “It was just such a relief.”

The family ended up being supported by YANA for many trips with their son, and again with their daughter who needed surgery for an eye condition that required them to travel again to Vancouver for the procedure and follow-up visits. Through it all, they continued to be cared for and supported by their community.

“It’s one less stress on your mind,” said Jeanne. “That was all taken away, and we could focus on the children each time. All we had to worry about was getting them there, getting them through the operation, we didn’t have to worry about anything else.”

The story doesn’t end there, because over 25 years after they were introduced to YANA, they received a call from their son-in-law, Scott, letting them know their daughter, Amber, was being transported to Victoria in preterm labour with their grandson, Ephraim; YANA was there again.

Overcome with emotion, Ray recalled the conversation from the hospital with his son-in-law, and the relief that YANA was behind their family.

“It overwhelmed me again,” Ray said. “I thought ‘wow.’ Scott said, ‘(YANA) gave me this envelope and said go, get ahold of us later.’ ” Scott and Amber had received the $200 cash emergency funding that the Comox Valley Hospital distributes on behalf of YANA to families who are sent out of the community for medical care, and immediately the family knew once again, they were not alone.

Amber and Scott ended up spending over three months in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) while their son Ephraim grew strong enough to return home, and YANA supported them throughout their time there.

The whole Van Der Mark family has become big YANA supporters, bidding on Christmas Trees each year at the Driftwood Mall at the annual Christmas Tree Fundraiser.

“We’ve continued every year bidding on trees,” said Ray. “Most of the time we’ve won two, sometimes we win one. We ended up winning three trees one year.”

The YANA Christmas Trees have become an annual tradition with the Van Der Mark family. They often end up donating their trees back to families who might not be able to afford one, and on Christmas day they do a gift exchange with their children and extended family with some of the gifts that come with the trees. The trees are a way they can give back, remember, and show their appreciation for an organization that has given their family so much and one they hope will give to others for many decades to come.

***

There are 2,500 Valley Vonka chocolate bars available throughout the Comox Valley, with Golden Tickets randomly inserted into five of the chocolate bars.

Each golden ticket will be eligible to win one of the following grand prizes:

• Mount Washington Alpine Resort family passes

• The Old House Hotel and Spa gift certificates

• Kingfisher Oceanside Resort, Spa and Restaurant gift certificates

• Canadian Tire $1,000 shopping spree

• Peninsula Co-op $1,000 gas card.

Total value of all prizes is $7,500.

The bars are available for purchase by donation (suggested $5 donation) at:

• Parker’s Appliances 
• Oh Spa
• Locals Restaurant
• Mount Washington
• The Kingfisher Oceanside Resort and Spa
• Peninsula Co-op
• Canadian Tire
• Old House Hotel & Spa
• Hot Chocolates
• Sure Copy
• YANA office
• Bomback & Co.
• Pilon Tools
• Mackenzie Gartside & Associates
• Blinds Bubbles Boutique
• Return-It Depot
• Brian McLean GM
• Living Room Pharmacy
• Bennett Sheet Metal
• Courtenay Nissan
• Ives Burger Law
• Hyland Precast
• CSN Reliable Auto Body
• Pharmasave
• Lara Austin – RBC Dominion Securities

Extraordinary success for the 2021 Big Love Benefit

Posted on March 5, 2021

“Donations will be down significantly from last year”, they said……“Expect to raise about half of what you would with the ‘normal’ event”, they said……“Sponsors and volunteers probably can’t help as much as they have in the past”, they said.

Friends, THEY did not realize how very extraordinary this community of YANA supporters truly is! 

Together, we broke the record last year raising $166,000.  This year, together in a whole new way, we raised $175,000 for Comox Valley children and their families.  

Absolutely. Speechless. 

A million thank yous wouldn’t even scratch the surface. 

Big Love Wesjet and 50/50 winning ticket numbers announced

Posted on February 27, 2021

The winning ticket number for the WESTJET TICKETS draw (BC Gaming Event Licence #127963) was 210177.

The winning ticket number for the 50/50 draw (BC Gaming Event Licence #127739) of the $10,461 prize was 140515.

Email notifications have been sent to all purchasers, and the winners have been contacted.

Thank you to everyone who supported YANA families by participating in the draws!

The 2021 Big Love Benefit Online Silent Auction is LIVE!

Posted on February 16, 2021

This year’s virtual gala kicks off February 16th with an incredible selection of items up for bid from now until the livestream event on February 26th. Your own access links to the Online Silent Auction AND to the Live Broadcast are provided with the purchase of your Big Love Benefit ticket.

Tickets can be purchased here, with any size donation you choose. Browse and shop over 250 items and packages valued at nearly $70,000.  From luxury packages to beautiful, local art; home and garden treasures to restaurant gift certificates, there is truly something for everyone! 

YANA Big Love Benefit Changes Due to Continued COVID Restrictions

Posted on February 10, 2021

From the infancy of our planning for a COVID-friendly version of the Big Love Benefit this year, the committee of YANA volunteers and staff committed to doing everything humanly possible to virtually recreate as many of the magical elements of the “normal” event as possible, all while following prescribed health protocols to keep everyone involved safe.

From day one, we agreed to plan for the best-case scenario and to be prepared to adjust according to provincial and regional COVID restrictions as needed. We were collectively hoping for a return to “Safe Six” and to a less restrictive definition of events.  Over the past few weeks, as it started looking more and more like restrictions would not be loosened, we started working further with Island Health to develop a safety plan that would go over and above all requirements.  The goal was to allow YANA supporters to view the Big Love Live Broadcast with their core bubbles from home and from restaurants as planned. 

As you can imagine, with the recent extension of the Provincial Health Orders, no specific reconsideration date given, and less than 3 weeks to the February 26 broadcast, our committee was faced with a tough decision. 

Island Health has spent significant time listening with open minds and hearts to our innovative method of supporting local restaurants as viewing locations for a virtual broadcast. Without previous precedent or other models to use as templates, although things were continuing in the right direction, we’ve simply run out of time. 

With the resources and time remaining, we’ve decided to remove the restaurant venues from our ticketing options and convert previously purchased venue tables to gourmet home parties for up to 6 core-bubble (immediate household) attendees.  

We are extremely grateful for the generosity and flexibility of all those that have purchased restaurant venue tables.  We will be reaching out in the days ahead to provide the details on the alternative options available to you. 

There are great options for everyone who wants to participate in the Big Love Benefit!

Link by Donation: When you visit the YANA Tickit Store, you will see the “Live Broadcast & Auction Link” by donation.  Remember that every dollar donated is matched by Brian McLean Chevrolet Buick GMC up to $15,000!

Home Parties: You’ll also notice that a limited number of “Hosted Home Party for Six” have been added.  To host a Home Party, you and those in your core bubble (immediate household) would view the live-stream broadcast on a smart TV or laptop etc, and bid on the auction items from each person’s personal hand-held device.  Home Parties are $750.00 and include a gourmet antipasto/charcuterie board, delicate desserts, bubbly to toast, and the ingredients for the Signature Cocktail. Please contact YANA if an alternate menu option is required. 

If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly at 250-871-0343 or kellybarnie@yanacomoxvalley.com. We are incredibly grateful for your continued support and flexibility as we adapt, adjust, and persevere our way ahead.  Our YANA families find it within themselves to do this every day, and we thank you for standing with us so we can stand with them no matter what. 

Kelly Barnie

Executive Director, YANA (You Are Not Alone)

For More Information and to purchase tickets, see: YANA Big Love Benefit

YANA rolls out plans for 2021 virtual Big Love Gala

Posted on December 18, 2020

Published in the Comox Valley Record December 22, 2020

It’s the year of reinvention for the way we collectively do things, from family gatherings to classes and workshops, and especially any kind of large-gathering events, coming together looks a little different right now.

For a charity like YANA (You Are Not Alone), gathering together has been an integral piece of their community support building and fundraising, especially at events like their annual sell-out gala, The Big Love Benefit, YANA’s largest campaign event of the year which generates almost 40% of the funds needed for their funding and accommodation programs.

Last year’s event was a smashing success, raising $166,000 through ticket sales, donations, draws and auctions. Two weeks later the world shut down and it became clear that the 2021 Big Love gala would not likely take shape in its usual form. Kelly Barnie, YANA’s executive director, spoke to this unfolding reality and the implications it could have on YANA’s ability to continue supporting Comox Valley families.

“Not holding our largest fundraising event of the year would likely put YANA in the position of having to say ‘no’ to families, or to be unable to support at the level we typically do. As always, our amazing volunteer committee stepped up in unanimous agreement that there was no way we could let that happen. They were committed as ever to finding a way to move forward with as many of the components of the annual gala fundraiser as possible, in a safe, flexible way that allows for maximum individual choice about how to join in the magic experience that is the Big Love Benefit.”

After many minds spent many hours back at the drawing board to re-invent this event in COVID-friendly fashion, YANA has rolled out their plans for this years’ gala event. It’s set to be better than ever, opening up even greater possibilities for supporters from all over to join the cause and witness the love and generosity that is shown each year.

“In some ways, COVID is forcing us to solve the problems we’ve always had and never come up with a way to overcome,” says Barnie. “When you sell out an event in 3 seconds, there are countless YANA supporters that want to get on board, but can’t. It’s opened up the event far and wide for anyone to help YANA. April 1, 2021 marks YANA’s 35 year anniversary. There are 3 and a half decades of YANA families and their circle of supporters out there. You can’t fit that many people in a room together, but you can have them join a live broadcast together, experiencing it as one, in different locations across the Valley and beyond.”

The event itself, as well as the auctioning of generously donated items, will all be done virtually. Event attendees will be able to view the live virtual program and bid in the online auction in one of 3 ways: attending one of eight Champion Sponsor-hosted restaurants in their Safe Six group, attending one of twenty Supporter Sponsor-hosted Safe Six home parties, or by making a donation to receive a link so they can enjoy the virtual event and participate in the silent and live auctions from the comfort of their own home.

Kelly Rusk, YANA’s board committee president, points to the bright silver lining in all of this.

“The online event platform we’re using allows everyone to experience the energy, stories, presentations and celebrations from any location. It even has video and chat interaction features so we can virtually connect between venues! We know it’s not the same as being able to hug and visit and laugh with 300+ people, but virtually speaking, we’re hoping this is the next closest thing.”

Every ticket purchased, every auction bid, every big and small donation helps toward this important fundraiser, and especially so thanks to generous sponsors who cover the costs of the event so that 100% of the money raised goes directly to YANA’s travel funding and accommodation programs for families. Long term sponsor Brian McLean Chevrolet Buick GMC is helping every dollar donated make an even bigger impact this year. Every time someone makes a donation to receive the link to the live event broadcast and auction, the dealership will match the donation, dollar for dollar, up to $15,000.

The online auction opens February 16th and runs until the night of the gala on February 26th. Restaurant venue tickets, and “link by donation” tickets will be available at yanacomoxvalley.com starting January 17th at 10am sharp. YANA supporters everywhere are encouraged to join in no matter how much you have to give, no matter where you’re giving from.

“More than ever, this year, we want everyone to be in a position to experience the love that surrounds this event. Whether you can donate a little or a lot, we want you to share in the magic that is Big Love. We’re all hoping that 2021 brings much more positive to our world, and we’re excited to start the year with something like this. It’s been a major undertaking for our staff and volunteers to toss the script and start from the beginning, and we hope that the community will come together to rally behind YANA families like never before.”

See https://www.yanacomoxvalley.com/yana-event/auction/ for event information.

YANA Christmas Crackers on sale in stores and online

Posted on November 14, 2020

Originally published by the Comox Valley Record Nov. 15, 2020

The 2020 YANA Christmas Cracker Campaign is kicking off again, and like most things right now, this year’s fundraiser looks a little different. The usual cracker making gatherings were cancelled due to the pandemic situation and social distancing measures, but the efforts continued, led by volunteer campaign coordinator, Robbie Rusk. Her dream team of cracker crafters came forward to take supplies home and they pulled together to assemble the 5000 crackers throughout the COVID lockdown in the Spring. 

Crackers are ready for purchase at seven retail locations, as well as in the online store just launched. YANA Executive Director Kelly Barnie shared the shift in approach to this year’s campaign, and the measures they’ve taken to ensure the fundraiser is both safe and successful. 

“Like everything fundraising and life in general, this year’s cracker campaign has required us to adjust and adapt. We’ve limited our distribution locations to businesses with strong COVID protocols in place for walk-in business, as well as to places most likely to remain open if restrictions increase again. We also started an online store, where buyers can choose to purchase and pick-up at YANA’s office on Rosewall Crescent, or to have their crackers directly shipped to the location they choose. We know that many businesses and individuals are thinking about the approaching tax season and the contributions they want to make, and the online store makes it easy to add an additional donation and receive a receipt for the 2020 tax year.”

The hand-crafted crackers are $3.00 each and contain traditional trinkets and jokes. Fifty crackers contain special prizes donated by local businesses, including the Grand Prize of a gorgeous 18kt gold diamond Cavelti ring generously donated by Mark the Gold, appraised at $2835.00 by Tim Haley of Simply Timeless.

Last year YANA supported 172 families and 433 medical trips for Comox Valley families who required medical care outside of the community. Because of the generous sponsorships from Paul Ardron and Kirk Campbell of IG Wealth Management, 100% of the cracker proceeds go directly to the continued support that YANA provides for our community and families. 

YANA Christmas Crackers are on sale now, and sell out quickly every year. They can be purchased at Edible Island Whole Foods Market, Seeds Food Market, Tin Town Cafe, John’s Your Independent Grocer, Comox Community Centre, Quality Foods in Comox and Courtenay and through YANA’s Online Store. Bulk orders as well as cash donations can also be done at the YANA office at 102, 2456 Rosewall Cres on Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:00am to 2:00pm. 

For more information, and to purchase YANA Christmas Crackers online, visit https://www.yanacomoxvalley.com/yana-event/christmas-crackers/ 

Connor’s Home Away from Home

Posted on October 30, 2020

To honour client confidentiality, this composite “based-on-real-life-events” story has been written by Andrea Postal from the YANA Client Care Team including details, experiences and emotions from several of the clients who have stayed in our YANA apartments in the last year. Stock photo.

Dusk is falling on the water and I look to see Connor’s face pressed up against the window watching the dock become more than a dot in the distance as we near the familiar mainland shore. I scolded him for the dozenth time. “How many kids before you smeared their face up against the same window? Germs, Connor, you can’t have anyone else’s but your own right now”. It’s the second time this month we’ve ferried across these waters and it’s the one thing that still holds some novelty and sparks some joy on these trips for my 6-year-old son, who almost a year ago suddenly found himself with a cancer diagnosis, losing most of what knew in his comfortable little world: his bed, his room, his friends and even pestering little sister, playgrounds, movie theatres, swimming pools, his childhood in every sense it should be for a 6-year-old boy. Every day I long for normalcy in his upturned life, but I’m not even sure he remembers what normalcy is. A year is a lifetime for a 6-year-old, and it’s been a long one for all of us. 

Our family received Connor’s diagnosis after months of unexplained fatigue, dizziness, and recurring fevers and infections that were given no explanation until that day that they were; it was Leukemia, the L-word, the one no parent wants to hear uttered over their child. 

There isn’t a family that believes it could be them and we were no exception, but there we were sitting in our GP’s office, accepting the unfolding reality of what we found ourselves in, a life we couldn’t have imagined; our life, our world as we knew it, was suddenly changed. 

In a whirlwind of tests, appointments, and imminent plans for treatment to begin, the numbers started stacking up and so did questions of how we would make this all work. Who would go? Where would we stay? Do we keep working or quit our jobs? Do we change schools, move our family? Connor’s extensive treatment plan was going to determine the next few years of our life, and our heads were spinning with the decisions we were being forced to make, and quickly. 

The day after receiving Connor’s diagnosis we found ourselves packing our bags with a week’s worth of clothes, toys, and a few comforts from home. It would be just Connor and I on this trip. Jack, Connor’s dad and his sister Maeve would stay behind while we sorted out our next steps. After an uneventful trip to Vancouver, we arrived at BC Children’s Hospital for our first round of extensive testing and treatment, all within 48 hours of Connor’s diagnosis. I still remember the smell of the hospital air walking through those doors for the first time, it was the scent of illness and a complete loss of control, one that would become a familiar and bitter kind of nostalgia. 

In the midst of it all, we did find a silver lining, and it would change the course of the next year for us. It was during a meeting with Anne, our appointed oncology social worker, that the suggestion of reaching out to YANA came up. We knew the name, a friend of ours was supported by YANA after their premature baby was airlifted to Vancouver a few years back. She spoke passionately about the organization and the overwhelming support that was provided during their extensive NICU stay. We had no idea how impacted we would also be by this organization and the support they would soon offer us.

It was a quick phone call to their office and a huge piece of our complicated puzzle was solved. YANA would not only be providing us with daily funds we could use to cover any one of the many expenses we would incur, they also offered to provide us with a one-bedroom apartment near the hospital, just a 20-minute walk door to door. No matter how long our treatment, no matter how many trips or how many months we would be required to be away from the Valley, we would have a home away from home. 

A YANA volunteer on the ground in Vancouver met me at the hospital the next day with keys and a letter explaining the use of the apartment. I took in whatever information I could while she sweetly described details I couldn’t quite absorb. All I knew so clearly in that moment was that we were not alone, this organization and our community back home had our backs and would be a huge part of the story of how we made it through. 

After more sleepless nights on a cot in Connor’s hospital room than I care to remember, we were finally given a pass to leave the hospital between treatments. Connor’s dad and sister had come across with some of our things and they were waiting for us at the apartment when we arrived that first night. Connor and I stood in the cold for a moment outside the downtown Vancouver building and took it all in. It wasn’t much of a sight, it was weathered and old and looked to have seen better days in decades past, but I could feel it was a gift and would become something like home. 

We let ourselves in and climbed the stairs carefully to the second floor. Connor was more tired and weak than ever. He didn’t complain, he just moved slowly. I scooped him up in my arms at the top and carried him down the long hallway. The floors were worn, the paint was thick and chipping off the walls, and it smelled of curry and old carpet. I tapped on the door and took a deep breath, I could feel Connors own breath on my neck, his chest lifting on and off mine and his warm head on my shoulder. Jack let us in and wrapped us up in his arms, kissing us each on the head as we moved our tired bodies through the door to our new home. 

The inside was nothing like the rest of the building. It was lovingly cared for with enough art and furnishings to make it feel like home. The kitchen was stocked with the dishes we would need to cook our own meals, and a dining room table and chairs to the side. The living room was set up simply with a couch, a TV, ottoman, small desk, and a lamp in one corner of the room. Jack brought over my favourite monstera plant and set it up in the corner along with a ficus and a blossoming orchid. Jack had arranged family photos on the side table, and a small rug under the coffee table and couch pillows on the couch from our family rec room. A slew of Connor’s toys and craft supplies were piled up in two bins in the living room, along with a sack of stuffed animals that would soon be a strewn arrangement across our bedroom. 

The living room couch pulled out to a bed.  Jack and Maeve slept on it the first couple of times they visited on the weekends, but the camping mattress provided ended up working better than the old hide-a-bed which turned out to be uncomfortable and a bit broken.  Jack and I would share the two twin beds in the bedroom, which Jack insisted we push together. We covered it with the sheets provided and a colourful, king-sized quilt Jack’s mother had made for our wedding. The bed and mattress weren’t the comfort from home that I was used to, but it was enough to be close to my boy in a room of our own. It was these small pieces from our life on the other side of the water that set all of us at ease through all the newness and changes and difficult days to come.

The 10 months that followed those first days are a blur, each one tired and long with doctors and social workers, tests and treatments. The hard days outnumbered the good ones for Jack as he endured treatments and side-effects that made life anything but easy, those 10 months were a dark and difficult season I know we’d both rather forget. 

But it was the small things that counted for us both. The store around the corner became our local grocer, and the deli across the street or the pizza place a block away became our usual Friday take-out. There was a park nearby that we’d walk to on Connor’s good days, we’d sit on the bench and watch the season’s change and the people come and go. We had a warm place to turn in to, with internet and cable TV to entertain us and keep us connected, and our own spot to curl up on at night. Our circumstances were hard, but our needs were met and our hearts felt so full of gratitude for all of the things that made us feel at home. 

It was about mid-way through Jack’s treatment that we were cleared to go home for a little over a week to celebrate his birthday and spend some time as a family. That same week, YANA contacted us about some upgrades that had just been approved for the unit we were staying in. While the apartment had served the needs that we had, we were thrilled to learn that there would be some much-needed improvements made, like new flooring, mattresses, and some new furnishings.

The renovations were scheduled to take place during our week away, and we were blown away coming back to the changes that had been made. The old carpet was replaced with beautiful, new laminate flooring. Beyond the ease of a quick Swiffer or mop to clean the new floors, no more carpet meant that I didn’t have to clean so deeply and so often. Jack was now immune-compromised, and bare floors were much easier to sanitize and maintain the level of cleanliness that he needed. 

A brand new, modern sofabed couch replaced the old one, which Jack and Maeve had opted out of sleeping on after a short few nights. We were a bit skeptical of any hide-a-bed, but the first night sleeping on this new comfy mattress and they were sold.  A large desk, new office chair, and under-chair-mat were added to the living room which made for a dedicated, comfortable place Jack and I could do our remote-work between treatments and taking turns caring for Connor. In the bedroom, the old mattresses were replaced and the new ones were a welcome change for both of us. Our sleep was broken on a good night, between Jack being sick from treatment side-effects and my tossing and turning to get back to sleep on a mattress that had seen better days, the new ones made all the difference. These things may seem insignificant to some, but they made this space a more comfortable place to call home, and that meant the world to us. 

Fast forward to today, and although our life is far from normal, we have come a long way. 

The arrival announcement comes over the ferry speaker, I can almost recite it word for word. Peeling Jack away from the window one more time, we make our way down the vehicle deck before making our last leg to the mainland. This is our final stretch before we go into maintenance; Jack’s been allowed longer stays at home and now he’ll have shorter trips across a couple of times a month, but this should be our last stay in the home we’ve made in our Oak Street suite. 

This week has been an easier week than most. Jack’s energy is coming back and we’ve been taking more walks to the park and playing Candy Land before bed every night. We’re all so ready for more time in our beds with our own things and time together as a family, but we will look back on this part of our time with hearts full. After a long day of paperwork and appointments at the end of our week, we are given the green light to pack up the apartment. Jack and Maeve come across and take a car-full of most of the things we’d brought over to make this place our home.  A Swiffer and wipe down of the cupboards, surfaces and bathroom, and the place was clean and ready for another family to use. I appreciated so much the ease of how quick and easy it was to clean, it was the last thing I wanted to do after a tiring day or long week, but it had become a simple chore. 

Although we’ll spend many nights still in this apartment, it’ll no longer be our home, instead, it will be a safe, warm, and clean place to lay our heads at night for these shorter treatments over the next little while. There will be other families with sick children, long days, and uncertain times coming and going from this same suite, and it will no doubt be a gift to them as it was to our family. This place has been the difference between feeling supported and feeling alone, and we most certainly know we are not alone.

YANA here for children of ALL ages – Ephraim, Age 11 months

Posted on September 30, 2020

Comox Valley family a second-generation YANA family

Originally published by the Comox Valley Record Sept. 28, 2020

Andrea Postal, Client Services, YANA.  Special to the Record

It was early on a fall morning that Amber Van Der Mark recalls being woken up by labour pains, a whole 2.5 months before her due date. After a phone call to the midwife and an assessment at the hospital, it became clear that Amber and her partner Scott’s first baby was going to be joining their family far sooner than they expected, and far from home, too. At just 28 weeks and two days pregnant, Amber was airlifted that evening to Victoria General Hospital, the closest hospital on the Island that provides for infants born so early.

These are not circumstances anyone imagines bringing their baby into, but YANA sees these cases on a regular basis. In the Comox Valley, labour before 37 weeks requires mothers to deliver in Nanaimo, Victoria, and in some cases, Vancouver. Amber shared about the overwhelming feeling to receive the news that she would be leaving the Valley to give birth, and the many unknowns about the weeks and months ahead with a preemie.

“When Scott and I were in Victoria those first two days not knowing when our son would be born, not knowing how long we would have to stay there, it would stress us out,” Amber said. “We were worried about our son coming early, we were worried about eating away through our savings, especially since we just bought a new house; we got the keys to the house the day Ephraim was born. We were worried about where we would be staying and the cost that would come with that. That was until we got a hold of YANA. The best way I can describe how I felt after Scott relayed the conversation he had with one of the representatives from YANA, was as if I just came up from underwater for days and got my first breath of fresh air. My whole body relaxed, my mind at ease, I started to cry.”

Ephraim was born just six days after their arrival in Victoria, a tiny but healthy one-pound, 13-ounce baby boy who Amber described as “a strong boy and a fighter.” Ephraim made amazing progress as the days went by, checking all of the boxes and meeting milestones, but it would still be 69 long days in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) for the new family.

Amber expressed how incredible it was to receive support from YANA throughout their time, and how much more meaningful the support felt because of her parents’ history with YANA. Amber’s family had received the ongoing support of YANA almost three decades ago, something that suddenly became so much more appreciated and understood through her own experience.

“Back in 1990 when our family moved to the Valley, my brother needed to spend some time in the Children’s Hospital in Vancouver for surgeries and back then YANA had supported my parents. From then until my brother reached his late teens YANA was there supporting. Years later, my parents gave back by bidding on YANA’s Christmas trees. I never really thought about how much those donations to YANA my parents made really did mean, not until we were in the NICU and YANA was there to support us. In a way it has done a full circle. YANA helped my parents, my parents donated to YANA, and YANA was there to help us.”

Amber and Scott were blown away when YANA came through again after a sudden transfer to the Nanaimo hospital for the final nine days of their NICU journey. Though they were closer to home, they couldn’t imagine being an hour away from their son, never mind needing to travel down to visit him each day.

“The problem was solved with one phone call.” Amber explained. “YANA had arranged for us to stay in a motel until they could find us a bed and breakfast that was close to the hospital. Again, all I had to worry about now was seeing my son, Scott and I had a place to stay in Nanaimo, it was all taken care of with the help of YANA.”

From penny drives in years past, to Valley Vonka chocolate bars, and the countless other community fundraisers that take place each year, it is this Valley’s dedication to keep showing up that lets families know that no matter what they face, they are not alone. It’s because of the decades of commitment from individuals in our community who step up to provide in ways both big and small, that families like Amber and Scott’s, can be supported through challenging times.

“I cannot express how grateful both Scott and I are from the love we have of this community. We cannot thank everyone enough for their continued support and donations to YANA. I look at my son every day and just realize how lucky we are to live in a community where everyone is there for everyone.”

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The annual Valley Vonka fundraiser in support of YANA is now in full swing.

Chocolate bars are available for purchase (by donation), with “Golden Tickets” randomly inserted inside five Valley Vonka chocolate bars.

Finding a Golden Ticket gives you a chance at one of five great grand prize packages, from Mount Washington Alpine Resort; The Old House Hotel & Spa; Kingfisher Oceanside Resort; Canadian Tire; and Peninsula Co-op.

Chocolate bars are available at:

• Comox Valley Record office

• Ashley Furniture Homestore

• Old House Hotel, OhSpa, Locals Restaurant

• Mount Washington Alpine Resort

• Kingfisher Oceanside Resort & Spa

• Peninsula Co-op (Aspen Location)

• Canadian Tire

• Hot Chocolates

• Sure Copy

• Bomback & Co.

• Blinds and Bubbles Boutique

• Living Room Pharmacy

• Margot Rutherford Notary

• Mackenzie Gartside

• Pilon Tools