Four-year-old Jack Furgason, his two-year-old brother Lewis and mother and father — Lindsey and Austin — were told they had until the end of January to vacate Vancouver’s Ronald McDonald House Canada (RMHC) for being unvaccinated..But since the story broke, the Furgasons say they have been overwhelmed with the support they have received from around the world..Jack was diagnosed with leukemia in September after he was struggling to walk while on a camping trip, Austin told the Western Standard..Jack’s father said it took two separate doctor’s appointments to discover the leukemia and at the beginning of October, the family was flown from their home in Kelowna to BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver where Jack was to stay for six to eight months of treatment..While the father commuted back and forth from Kelowna to Vancouver in order to finish the last round of his electrical apprenticeship, the mother stayed with Jack and Lewis at Vancouvers’s RMHC a short distance from the children’s hospital..“We loved it here,” Austin said, adding, “we participated in so many things like the door decorating contest over Christmas and all the fun things they planned here.”.Austin wrapped up his electrical apprenticeship training and joined the family at the RMHC in early January..Within days of arriving, Austin said his wife came into the room crying on the evening of January 10 and was holding a letter in her hands..The family had been served their eviction notice in the mailbox posted on the wall outside the room they had been staying in for more than three months while Jack went back and forth from the hospital for treatment three times per week. .According to new policy adopted by RMHC, all those aged five and up staying in RHMC facilities across the country would need to be fully vaccinated or vacate the premises by January 31..The Furgason family was devastated..Austin said he and his wife decided to speak with the administration the next morning and did so while his wife recorded the interaction, which has now been widely shared across social media and other media outlets including Fox News in the US Wednesday evening..“It’s just going too far,” said Austin of the RMHC policy..“They are making people choose between their kids and a vaccine. I think that’s pretty messed up,” the father said..Not realizing the lengths his Facebook posted video would reach, Austin said he, his wife and many others in their circles “prayed for God to intervene.”.“I’ve had other parents come up to me in here (RMHC) and thank me. Even people who are vaccinated but don’t agree with the unvaccinated being kicked out.”.“I just know if we didn’t make a stand this is going to just keep happening,” said Austin..“We are exposing the hypocrisy. They say ‘my body – my choice.’ They say it’s for the safety of everyone but it’s been proven anyone can catch COVID and spread it. They just use us (unvaccinated) as a cop-out.”.Austin said he believes the segregation this is creating is “super dark.”.“I think the staff here are pretty upset by all this,” Austin told the Western Standard indicating the RMHC has been flooded with calls from people protesting the eviction of the Furgason family and others facing a similar situation..“I didn’t tell all these people to call,” said Austin but added he is grateful for the rally of support he has seen..Although the support has been positive for the most part, Austin said there has been some hate from a few..“They say we are endangering our kids and other kids around us here, but that’s just not true,” said Austin..“We care about all the kids here and have been doing what we can with masking and other things. We’re not some crazy conspiracy theorists who are trying to kill people. We have taken this very seriously,” Austin said of their time at RMHC..Soon after the family learned of Jack’s cancer diagnosis, a friend of the Furgason family started a GoFundMe page to help raise money to go towards expenses the family incurred for Jack’s cancer treatment..“A goal of $5,000 was set for the GoFundMe page and in three months it had hit $3,000,” Austin explained..“But, after our video went viral, it jumped to over $80,000 in one day,” said Austin adding it was answer to prayer..After being featured on Fox News and coverage continuing for the family’s situation, the GoFundMe currently sits at more than $152K..“At this point, all our needs are met, but we want to use that money to help others who are facing a similar situation,” said Austin..Austin shared some encouraging news he had received from their social worker before speaking with the Western Standard..“She said we’ve been accepted at the Easter Seals house which is just a little further down the road from here (RMHC),” said Austin..According to the Easter Seals House Health & Safety Policies, COVID-19 vaccinations are not mandatory to be accommodated. Masking and social distancing along with frequent cleaning and COVID-19 screening remain in place in the house..“The stress is over for us,” Austin said adding the family will make the move shortly once they’ve had a chance to “process everything.”.“Now we just want to get this story out. We want to help support others who are facing a similar eviction.”.Austin said the division he’s seen in Canada has been heartbreaking..“It’s like we’re having an identity crisis as a nation,” he told the Western Standard. .“People say they’re embarrassed to be Canadian. I mean look at our National Anthem — something that unites us all. God keep our land, glorious and free..“How can we keep our land glorious and free if we kick God out of it..“We need to remember our forefathers who founded this country and united us. We need to stop being divided over some crazy thing like a vaccine.”.The Western Standard contacted Ronald McDonald House Canada for comment on its vaccination policy but has not heard back..Melanie Risdon is a reporter with the Western Standard.,.mrisdon@westernstandardonline.com
