Supporting Wendy, Dave, and Their Family

Wednesday January 7th, 2026 should have been an evening that ended like any other. Wendy was driving home from dinner with her son, Devereaux, in the car. She was seven months pregnant. Tragically, her vehicle was struck head-on. In a matter of moments, everything changed.

Wendy was rushed to the hospital and required an emergency C-section. Their new born baby girl, Verena, and little Devereaux were both airlifted to Toronto for critical care. Wendy sustained significant head trauma, amongst other debilitating injuries. She was also air lifted to Toronto.

In the midst of this unthinkable trauma, Wendy and Dave’s two-year-old son, Devereaux, passed away while receiving care at SickKids.

Devereaux was the centre of their world. Every plan, every choice, every quiet dream Wendy and Dave held revolved around him. He was their why — their heart living outside of their bodies.

He was the kind of little boy who loved adventure and the outdoors, playing with his friends, and who felt safest wrapped in his parents’ arms. He loved closeness. He loved his dog, Ruby. And more than anything, he lit up with pure excitement knowing he was going to be a big brother very soon. He loved deeply — in the quiet, tender ways children do: small hands reaching for yours, giggles over ordinary moments, needing just one more cuddle before sleep.

Wendy poured her whole heart into being his mother. Dave built his days around being his dad. Their lives were shaped around making his world safe, joyful, and full of love. His absence is not only a loss — it is the sudden silence where an entire future once lived.

He was gentle. He was joyful. He was profoundly cherished.

Though his life was far too short, the love he brought into this world will never leave it. He will always be Wendy and Dave’s first baby. Their little boy. Their heart.

Baby Verena remains in Toronto receiving specialized care. At this time, her future is uncertain. Doctors have shared there may be developmental impacts related to a lack of oxygen at birth, though the full picture is not yet known. The family is taking things moment by moment — holding hope carefully while learning how to live with enormous uncertainty.

Wendy is now undergoing a series of extensive surgeries in Toronto. There is no clear timeline for when this family may be able to return home.

Dave and their family are doing everything possible to hold life together while navigating devastating grief, medical trauma, and weeks spent far from home in hospital rooms and waiting areas. Their days have become appointments, updates, and learning how to breathe through heartbreak.

This fundraiser exists so that financial strain does not become another weight in an already impossible season — to support medical travel, time away from work, daily living expenses, and the long road of healing ahead. It allows this family to focus on what matters most: being together, honouring Devereaux, supporting Wendy’s recovery, and surrounding Verena with love.

Any support — whether through donating, sharing, or simply holding this family in your thoughts — offers something steady in a time when everything feels unsteady.

Wendy is an extraordinary wife and mother. Dave is a devoted father and husband. Devereaux was deeply and endlessly loved, and Verena deserves every chance to be surrounded by that same love.

This family should not have to walk this road alone.

Thank you for meeting them with compassion, gentleness, and care.

Warmly,

Lisa, Kylie, Keith and all who love them ♥️