When little Yitz walked the Fashion 2019 runway, his oxygen tank in tow, and baby shark playing in the background, I joined in the standing ovation and thought, we should just skip the models next fashion show – I could watch the KCC kids glow in the spotlight all night long.

So much has transpired since that night and for the first time, we’ve felt what most KCC parents feel from the moment their child is diagnosed – unsettling uncertainty. For our parents, the screening and vigilant health protocols are not new to them- they’ve been doing that since their child was born. Ask a parent of a medically fragile child and they’ll tell you about sleepless nights they spend worrying over symptoms and the familiar anxiety they feel at the slightest hint of a fever.

The advocacy, resilience and strength of our KCC parents comes from sheer determination to bring the world to their child. It is with this mantra that we approached Covid-19 as an organization, with a firm resolve to never allow the pandemic to get in the way of us supporting our families. The staff at KCC banded together and ensured that no child was left without critical services during the 5-month Covid-19 closure. The day we were finally allowed to open our doors we sprang into action, securing PPE and leaving no stone unturned to give our families the help they desperately needed. Summer 2020 will forever be remembered as the summer that almost wasn’t, and against all odds, ended up being the most miraculous camp season.

It’s been a whole year since that last event and for 14 years Toronto has come out and supported our annual fashion show. This year, I suppose I got my wish – it’s just going to be our children in the spotlight. They continue to put one painstaking step in front of the other while flashing the world their gorgeous smiles every single day. There may not be FW2021 fashion pieces to showcase or hors d’oeuvres being passed around, but our children are still here, beaming, and proud of their accomplishments despite a global pandemic.

Covid-19 cannot be the reason our community’s most vulnerable children lose access to vital services. We need your support now more then ever, and we hope you will join us in our campaign.