When Steve Banquier’s son was rushed to the hospital last year, they thought it was just the flu.
It wasn’t.
James, who was nine at the time, was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome—where your body’s immune system attacks your nerves.
“After two weeks in the ICU at SickKids he was transferred to Holland Bloorview for rehab and he spent the next four months there,” says Steve.
“It was amazing. The care that he got was genuine, it went beyond the medical attention, it was the nurturing and the caring of all the staff. I became so enamored with the hospital that I wanted to see how I could help and give back.”
After connecting with a few members on Holland Bloorview’s Foundation Board, Steve eventually joined.
And this year, he’s going even further by joining his son’s Capes for Kids team.
“It’s the family’s first year fundraising, and to be honest I knew of Holland Bloorview at this time last year but it wasn’t really until my son was admitted as a patient that I really got to know the hospital well,” he says.
“I’ve got a big network of friends, family, and professional acquaintances. I’m hoping in sharing my story that that’ll bring some awareness to the hospital, then hopefully that translates into some donations.”
During Capes for Kids week, Steve also plans to wear his cape on his commute to and from work as a managing director at TD Securities.
“Raising awareness in the community is really important and if I can help do both those things then that’s a step in the right direction.”