Connor, 15 years old at the time, had been admitted to the hospital when he learned he had end-stage renal disease.  

After spending nine days in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit and receiving further treatment, his condition improved enough that he was able to be discharged with peritoneal dialysis to help his kidney function better — just in time for SickKids’ Prom. 

Gearing himself up to attend a formal event was already challenging, especially for an Autistic young person, but Connor also had to manage the side-effects from dialysis and treatment. Despite this, he was still ready to try to have a good time.  

But mid-way through the night, all the things he was managing became too overwhelming, and Connor had to put an early end to his prom night. 

Marking the end of an era 

After recovering from a successful kidney transplant in 2025, Connor was feeling more like himself.  

Recently, and with renewed energy, Connor was ready to take this older, more mature version of himself to SickKids’ Prom for the last time since he would be turning 18 in the fall. 

“After travelling through this time post-transplant and going through the loss of my dad and three other loved ones, I’m using prom to celebrate everything I’ve overcome,” he says. 

So when Connor showed up to SickKids for this year’s prom, the weight of what the night meant to him almost became too much. He needed to take a moment away, just like his last prom. But this time, he was able to regulate himself.  

Feeling calmer, Connor, donning his red silk bowtie and formalwear, spent the rest of the night dancing, making new friends and enjoying the spread of food. 

Laura McGrath, Donations and Events Specialist in Foundation Relations, was one of the people who stepped in to help Connor at both proms. “I am so proud to see how far he’s come. Not just medically, but he has grown so much as a person, and he knows that too,” she reflected fondly, watching Connor on the dance floor.  

“The therapeutic value that this night brings to patients and their families is immeasurable,” she says. “Patients really have their chance to be themselves and let go in a safe space where they won’t be judged.” 

A second chance at a milestone 

Madison had a busy week lined up for the first week of July: summer school was just starting, rugby season was well underway, her concert line-up was growing, and she only had a few more days to decide between two beautiful dresses that hung from her bedroom door. 

 

Madison saw the SickKids Prom as more than just a party — it was a second chance at a milestone. 

In December 2024, Madison was hospitalized after feeling intense pain in her stomach throughout one of her hockey games. She had to stay at SickKids for over a month for treatment and monitoring, which led to her missing out on special occasions like celebrating Christmas with her family and attending her school’s semi-formal with her twin sister.  

“You get a different sense of how lucky you are when you’re healthy,” says Madison.

After she was discharged, Madison went on to spend her time between follow-up appointments and treatment getting ahead in her classes, passionately watching her favourite hockey team on television and eventually joining the Patient Advisory Council, who helps plan SickKids Prom every year.

“It’s so important that the planning process is youth-led,” says McGrath. “We want it to feel as close to the real high school experience as we can get it.” 

“It's going to bring everyone so much hope” 

 

Months later, Madison, shining bright in her sky-blue dress — a different one from the two she was originally deciding between — with her twin sister and  close friends at her side, arrived in the Rotunda. It had been transformed into the magical “Around the World”-themed event space.  

“I can already feel the joy in the room,” she says. “It's going to bring everyone so much hope.”