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DQ Restaurant raises $15K on Miracle Treat Day

August 20, 2014   ·   0 Comments

Last Thursday, August 14th, the Tottenham Dairy Queen restaurant hosted its 12th Annual Miracle Treat Day to raise funds for the Children’s Miracle Network for Sick Kids Hospital.
In total the store raised $15,430.17 through the sale of 2,073 Blizzard treats on the actual day and balloon sales throughout the year.
Throughout the day, celebrity servers helped DQ employees meet the demand for yummy Blizzards – made from DQ’s signature soft-serve icemilk blended with their favourite topping. Perhaps the most star-worthy server of the day was 13-year-old Chelsea Sheehan, a “Miracle Child” herself.
Chelsea was born prematurely at 28 weeks to parents Janice and Chris Sheehan. From birth, Chelsea suffered with chronic lung and heart disease as well as kidney issues, Crohns Disease and spinal issues.
In her 13 years, Chelsea has been admitted to hospital 68 times and last year alone she spent the entire summer hospitalized, after being home-schooled for much of the year.
Although the Sheehan’s don’t have a clear picture as to what Chelsea’s actual diagnosis is – as it is evolving as Chelsea matures – they do know one thing for sure, without the help of the Children’s Miracle Network, they would be lost.
“My daughter was the sickest baby in the hospital when she was born,” said Chelsea’s mother Janice. “She died several times in the three months she was there before we were allowed to take her home. They had her on one hundred per cent oxygen. We went through hell.”
The Tottenham residents have spent a lot of Chelsea’s birthdays in a hospital setting since that time.
Chelsea, a Grade 8 student at St. James Catholic School in Colgan, has not allowed her illness to get her down. Last year, she asked that any birthday gifts came in the form of gift cards which she donated to Sick Kids Child Specialist Jane Darch for distribution to families with hospitalized children. Chelsea raised $742.
“Some of these parents have nothing,” Janice told the Times. “It is very expensive to have a child in the hospital. There’s gas, parking, accommodations and food expenses that a lot of people aren’t ready for.”
“Jane is such a good person and she’s really there for the kids – we knew she’d make sure the gift cards would get to the right place,” she added.
In the spirit of giving back, Chelsea decided to help behind the counter at Dairy Queen last Thursday.
“We don’t know where this will go with Chelsea,” said Janice of her daughter’s illness, “we’re currently seeking a second opinion at McMaster and hoping for good news. All I can say is that we will support the Children’s Miracle Network as long as it exists – although I wish there were no sick children at all, and that these organizations were not needed.”
Chelsea was more than happy to help at Dairy Queen, encouraged to give back to her community and represent those who cannot speak for themselves – or those too ill to get out of the house – by the Children’s Miracle Network.
“Specifically we’re here for Connor and Baby Ava today,” said Janice. “Sometimes people who are the sickest, don’t look sick at all, like my Chelsea. We’re here for every child that cannot help themselves, and relies on people and organizations to advocate on their behalf.”
Serving up soft serve certainly agreed with Chelsea who looked happy and content behind the counter.
On Miracle Treat Day, you may have indulged in your favourite Blizzard treat, but you did more than that – you helped a little girl help herself, and in turn help a community that has supported her in the darkest hours of her life.

By Wendy Gabrek

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