“Walking through the doors of JoeAnna’s House was like a breath of fresh air. They gave us a place of calm to call home in a time where inside we felt like a storm was happening.” -Kayla Vannieuwenhuizen

As a mother of four boys, a pregnant Kayla Vannieuwenhuizen felt calm and looked forward to meeting baby number five. As an experienced mother, she knew something was off when she woke up feeling unwell at 33 weeks pregnant. Unfortunately, the calm quickly turned to chaos as she went into preterm labor. She was rushed from Salmon Arm to Kelowna General Hospital (KGH).

Thanks to the incredible care of the healthcare team at KGH, and a very strong-willed little girl, Kayla and Ryan welcomed their very first daughter, Hattie. However, they quickly learned that Hattie’s birth was the first of many obstacles they would face. With a two week stay in KGH’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) ahead of them, the future was uncertain. Though Kayla and Ryan were primarily worried about Hattie’s health, they also didn’t know how they would navigate their stay so far from home.

“From the moment we were transferred to KGH, one of our biggest fears was where we would stay? How will we afford this? When in came JoeAnna’s House,” Kayla recalls.

Fortunately the health care team at KGH directed them to JoeAnna’s House. Upon arrival, the staff and volunteers helped Kayla and Ryan feel as comfortable as possible during their two week stay. They continually went above and beyond, helping with questions, linking them to local supports, and being there to listen while they navigated life during such a difficult time.

Luckily, Hattie pulled through and is now thriving while trying to keep up to her four big brothers. The family is so grateful to all who made JoeAnna’s House available to them when they needed it most.

“Thank you for opening up your hearts to JoeAnna’s House and supporting families like ours when in a time of crisis,” Kayla shares. “Thank you for giving dozens of communities in British Columbia a place to call home when needing to be at KGH. Thank you for giving families one less thing to worry about when they are already trying to handle so much. To have a moment to breathe, a moment of respite from the beeping monitors, a moment to have a warm meal. Your support and generosity of JoeAnna’s House has created a life long ingrained place in our hearts that we will never, ever forget.”

This year Hattie turned three and Kayla and Ryan wanted to do something special to celebrate. After being born at 33 weeks and spending 3 weeks in the NICU, between KGH and Vernon Jubilee Hospital (VJH), the family set out to raise $1,333 in support of JoeAnna’s House through Good Lemonade Day. Working together with their family friends the Ripels, they not only achieved their goal, they raised the most of any family run stand!

The idea for Good Lemonade Day came from a group of friends who wanted their children give back to the community in a fun and rewarding way. The group chose JoeAnna’s House as the beneficiary and brought their idea to Prestige Hotels and resorts, who were eager to get involved.

This annual community fundraiser sees dozen of lemonade stands throughout BC with all proceeds supporting JoeAnna’s House. Good Lemonade Day raised $26,720 this year- their most successful fundraising year yet.

Kayla, Ryan, and their children have participated in Good Lemonades Day for the last two years, and they have no plans of stopping.

“We are thrilled to have raised the most of a family run stand. As the years go by, June 8^th will forever be a day for our family to find a way to give back and we cannot wait to participate again,” Kayla shares.