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Jean Personna and his family have had to make countless trips from their home in Laval to the Montreal Children’s Hospital because their newest family member — 3-month-old Michaël — is having trouble breathing and needs constant medical supervision.

For brother Raphael, 5, those visits have become a lot more enjoyable thanks to a pilot project that gives him a place to play while his mother, Rachelle Toussaint, and father tend to Michaël. The Just for Kids (JFK) Foundation’s Sibling Park offers childcare while parents bond with their newborns in the neonatal intensive care unit.

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“This is something that makes him happier when he goes to see his sister,” Personna said. “He’s always happy to see his sister, but he is especially happy because of the activities provided by the service.”

If not for the project, Personna said, “I would have to pay another person to take care of him while we go to the hospital. We wouldn’t have a choice.”