A Ladner family is organizing a walk-a-thon tomorrow to benefit the Royal Columbian Hospital's neonatal intensive care unit.
"The biggest thing is we're just trying to give back," said Ron Van Marrewyk.
Ron and his wife Stephanie's two-and-a-half-year-old triplet daughters Shauna, Paige and Andy were born at 29 weeks gestation and weighed between two and three pounds each.
"We found out at 22 weeks that Shauna was having problems with her umbilical cord. That was the start of our worries," Ron said. "When we finally found out that she was having reversed flow in her umbilical cord that's when we had to have the emergency C-section for all three."
The triplets were eventually transferred to Royal Columbian Hospital where they were discharged about three months after being born.
"We felt so blessed to be surrounded by amazing nurses and doctors, and even though we suffered through some very scary times, the love, care and medical treatment we received from RCH's staff truly is unforgettable," the family stated in an online event posting.
The couple also has a five-year-old daughter Renee.
The Christmas 5-km Walk-a-thon takes place at the Neilson Grove Elementary school field, 5500 Admiral Blvd.
The walk starts at 10: 30 a.m. while registration goes from 9: 15 to 10: 15 a.m.
There will be activities, like Christmas-inspired crafts and face painting, before and after the walk while refreshments will be available afterwards.
For more information or to donate online visit www. rchcares.com and click on events to locate the walk-a-thon.
