Losing a child is something no parent should ever have to endure.
Chantal and Ryan Blundell lost their beautiful six-year-old son Keian on New Year’s Day, Jan. 1, 2014, after a very hard fight against an aggressive leukemia.
But even in those last days of his young life, Keian was thinking of other sick kids just like him, wanting to bring love and joy into their lives.
On his own, Keian wanted to bring toys to children living at BC Children’s Hospital and Canucks Place Children’s Hospice.
By the second year, family and friends got word of what he was doing and he got to deliver 300 toys to sick children two weeks before he passed away.
“This year, as difficult as it will be for us, we have chosen to continue with his wish of helping others — specifically, families that are like ours that are suffering amongst their child’s cancer diagnosis and the many, many children with a chronic or terminal illness,” said Chantal.
“Keian’s Holiday Wish Toy Drive” has already begun and toy donations will be accepted until Dec. 15.
There are drop off locations all over Metro Vancouver.
The drop off location in Langley is at Keian’s preschool at West Langley Elementary, 9403 212 Street.
“This is Keian’s legacy and we feel, at this time, that it is one of the only things that can bring meaning to our life. Remembering him, honouring him and continuing with his legacy,” said Chantal.
There will also be a Team Keian bottle drive on Saturday, Nov. 15 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Langley Events Centre.
All proceeds from the bottle drive will go to families affected by childhood cancer.
Friends of the Blundells did a bottle drive more than a year ago for Keian when he was very sick and Chantal and Ryan had both quit their jobs to be with him full-time.
The bottle drive, at George Preston Rec Centre, had such a huge amount of bottles donated that the depots were overwhelmed.
It raised a record $5,000 from contributed cans and bottles.