Starlight children get treated to shopping trip to Toys ‘R’ Us

Toys R Us hosts a shopping spree for sick kids who receive support from the Starlight Foundation. Tyler Barrow reports.

A group of seriously ill Calgary children were treated to a holiday shopping spree at Toys “R” Us Sunday morning.

The store at Cross Iron Mills was hopping early, as close to 150 children and their families got the opportunity to stroll the aisles, pick out some toys, meet Santa and have fun in a private shopping event that allowed them to have the store to themselves.

One hundred and forty-six children each received a $50 gift card to buy whatever they wanted from Toys “R” Us.

One of those children was Leinah Sant’anna, whose mom Flavia said was born at 23 weeks gestation with a rare disease that has caused her to face significant struggles throughout her life.

“When we found that she would be a Starlight kid, it was a real gift for her, because it changed the opportunities that she would be able to have,” Flavia said.

“When you have a child with medical complexities, you are always planning and make huge accommodations,” Sant’anna added, “and it’s not always so easy to find places where she can go that we necessarily don’t need to have lots of planning ahead.

“With Starlight, we are able to just come and enjoy the events as a family,” she said. “So today means that we get to have a Christmas experience without worrying so much about her medical conditions.”

Starlight Foundation organizer Myron Wintonyk said the goal of the day was to offer a little respite for families whose lives are overloaded with doctor’s appointments.

“They spend a lot of time in the hospitals,” Wintonyk said. “Their kids are sick, they miss school. They don’t have a chance to interact with the other kids.

“(This event offers) the chance to be here with other families that all understand what they’re going through,” he added. “Oh, yeah -- been there, done that.

“It’s huge,” he said. “It’s just a very relaxing, welcoming atmosphere for all the families.”

Toys “R” Us spokesperson Stacey Wilks said the event was easy for the company to get behind.

“Well, the company itself has been representing Starlight for many, many, many years,” she said. “We’ve donated millions and millions and millions of dollars that we’ve been able to get from the community to help contribute towards this amazing, amazing thing.

“It stands for itself,” she said. “We try to bring that little bit of joy to help them while they’re going through these different (health) battles. And just to see the look on their faces, the smiles, to be able to greet them when they come in? It’s all about the kids.”

As for eight-year-old Leinah Santana, what toy did she have her eyes on?

“Lilo and Stitch,” Leinah said.

“Books,” Flavia said, adding that she was just grateful to be given the opportunity to do a little holiday shopping with her daughter.

“Some days are harder than the others,” she said, “so we’re pretty grateful that Starlight is here to alleviate a little bit of the burden of just having to worry about medical therapies and just giving her a chance to be a kid like any other kid. Thank you.”

For more about The Starlight Foundation, go here.

With files from CTV’s Tyler Barrow