DONATIONS AT WORK HIGHLIGHTS 2025/26

Hospital at Home

Care, comfort and healing at home

When Kasser first started experiencing pain in his back, he and his family assumed it was muscle strain from playing sports. But when the pain didn’t go away, and after a visit to the doctor, they received news that no family expects to hear: Kasser had a type of cancer called B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

“It was a huge shock,” says his mom, Michelle.

An otherwise typical 16-year-old, Kasser loves Formula 1, LEGO, listening to Bad Bunny and, most of all, spending time with his family, which includes his mom, dad, older brother and sister.

While the team of experts at the Alberta Children’s Hospital provides exceptional care, cancer treatment is physically and emotionally challenging for kids and their families.

Treatment often means countless hospital visits over the course of many months, sometimes years. Living a significant distance from the hospital can make those trips even more challenging.

Thanks to your generous support for Hospital at Home, some kids who need oncology, hematology, immunology and blood and marrow transplant care can receive treatment from a specially trained nurse in the comfort of their own homes.

Not only does this help kids receive treatment in the place where they feel most at ease, it reduces travel time, costs associated with hospital visits, like parking, and allows families to spend more time together.

“We love this program, I can’t stress that enough. The nurses are amazing.”
— Michelle, Kasser’s mom

Access to Hospital at Home meant Kasser could continue to make memories with his family even during treatment, including attending his older brother’s graduation.

“That wouldn’t have been possible without it,” says Michelle.

Last year, 108 kids and teens received care through the Hospital at Home program over a total of 1,632 visits.

“Hospital at Home puts power back into the families’ lives during a traumatic and chaotic situation,” says Shelaine Semmens, a nurse with the program.

When a child receives chemotherapy, they also receive hydration, which is vital for flushing out treatment-related toxins, protecting kidney function. Through the Hospital at Home program, parents are trained in how to use home hydration, allowing kids to spend less time in hospital and more time at home — being surrounded by family.

Over the past year, 95 inpatient hospital nights were avoided thanks to this training for parents, which made at-home hydration possible.

Last year, program reach was expanded, with two nurses providing daily care using two dedicated vehicles, which allows for both weekday and weekend appointments. This enhanced capacity allowed the team to deliver a wide range of complex treatments in a way that was more comfortable and convenient for families. This not only improves the patient and family experience, but also helps ease pressure on inpatient services at the hospital.

Words of Impact