C95 tracks down sold-out Hatchimal toy for special little boy

Hatchimals, the hottest Christmas toy this season, are sold out in Canada.
 
But that didn’t stop C95 morning hosts Rob Suski and Shauna Foster from tracking one down to brighten six-year-old Mason Gariepy’s spirits.
 
Mason has leukemia and is spending Christmas in the Royal University Hospital (RUH), where he’s waiting to be stable enough for stem cell treatment in Calgary.
 
“I don’t know which colour it’s going to be,” he said about his new toy.
 
“I really hope it’s the green one or the blue one.”
 
Mason was thankful to get a toy a lot of kids won’t have this Christmas due to difficulties keeping them on store shelves.
 
“They’re very rare,” he said.
 
A C95 listener donated Mason’s Hatchimal.
 
“We knew that a toy this popular should go to a very special child,” Foster said.
 
“When we heard about Mason through the Ronald McDonald House it felt like a perfect fit.”
 
Mason and his mother Gale have been in the hospital since Aug. 5, 2016. His dad and two brothers come to RUH on the weekends to be with them.
 
“It’s been really tough, but we finally have a routine going now,” she said.
 
“For the most part he’s pretty good, but the bacterial infection knocks him down, which makes him a little more moody and sleepy.”
 
Foster said it was an emotional experience for everyone involved.
 
“We instantly had a bond with Mason, he has a special energy within despite feeling physically weak,” she said.
 
“When he opened that box and we saw his excitement, I don’t think there was a dry eye in the room.”
 
Mason and his family have to spend the holidays in the hospital until they can go to Calgary for another six months.
 
“We hope this surprise can brighten his days a bit more,” Foster said.
 
Check out Mason Gariepy’s Facebook page to see more of his story.