When the East End Refugee Committee (EERC) reached out to AURA to sponsor a refugee family in January 2024, little did anyone know what they were committing to. The EERC, comprising of around a dozen members from five churches, had by then sponsored several families, one family almost every two years for well over two decades, most of them being through AURA. In the same period, AURA had helped thousands find safety in Canada, most prominently during the Syrian crisis.

With its roots in the welcome of South-East Asian refugees in the late 1970s, Canada’s refugee sponsorship program involves the IRCC, family members in Canada, and community and religious groups and organizations taking responsibility for arriving refugees. The program’s Blended-Visa-Office-Recommended (BVOR) stream, which the EERC has typically used, involves the government taking financial responsibility for six months for newcomers while the sponsor group takes it on for the rest of the sponsorship year, besides taking on full resettlement responsibility.

With budgets and capacities considered, the committee informed Marin, the Sponsorship Director at AURA, that they had selected a family of five from Myanmar, currently residing in India, from the roster posted on IRCC website. The process began and contact was established between the committee and the family as usual. But soon after, the family’s response times increased, raising concern and prompting Elaine from EERC to spring to action.

She got in touch with the patriarch who informed her that the youngest member of the family, 10-year-old Van Biak, had been admitted to a hospital in New Delhi with severe illness. Several tests and procedures later, it was found that he had Burkitt’s Lymphoma, a rare and aggressive type of cancer.

While the family remained busy taking care of the child, the committee in Toronto decided the case required special attention, including increased financial support. With its own finances and support from congregation members, they collected enough money to support the cost of Van Biak’s treatment in India. The next concern was whether the child would be in the position to make it to Canada by early May, when their flight was scheduled.

Racing against time, Elaine decided to approach the SickKids Hospital. Upon reaching the building, she was informed that the department that takes care of international cases did not have anyone present on the day and did not accept documents without an appointment. But sensing her desperation, a security guard at the building made a few calls to reach an official who heard the case and asked her to submit Van Biak’s medical records.

Soon after, Elaine, Roxanne (an ex-nurse also a member of the EERC), Marin and a Sick Kids representative got on a Zoom call and the hospital accepted Van Biak’s case, conditional on his medical clearance for travel. Marin and Elaine then went on to ensure that Van Biak would get from the airport to the hospital as soon as possible.

They contacted Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) and Polycultural Immigrant and Community Services (PICS) who graciously agreed to help, and everyone held their breath for the medical exam to be cleared so the family could board the flight. At Toronto Pearson International Airport, they were promptly escorted out with assistance from CBSA and PCIS, and welcomed by the EERC and a small group of Myanmarese residents of Toronto who had been connected with the family since their time in India.

Elaine, Van Biak, and his father rushed to the hospital while the rest of the family made their way home. As he received his treatment and continued the path to recovery, Van Biak received gifts from Sophia’s project and Childhood Cancer. He also received VIP tickets to the Blue Jays game where the team also gifted him a game ball, making him feel very welcome in his new country.